Kerala's 16th century wooden palace now gets a website" ""

The magnificent 16th century Padmanabhapuram palace, an erstwhile seat of the Travancore royals, is now just a click away, thanks to a new website on the heritage structure launched by the Kerala government.

"" The sprawling wooden palace complex is a rare repository of ornate murals, floral carvings, stone and copper plate inscriptions, armoury, coins and paintings of the period.

Though it is situated at Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the six-acre palace complex was retained under the custodianship of the Kerala Department of Archaeology as per the state reorganisation settlement in 1956. """ The new English website, brought out by the Department, has all comprehensive details about the palace besides an array of rare photos and videos with detailed explanation.

""" The department officials said the objective of the website was to help history buffs and students get a clear picture of the invaluable monument.

""" Launching the website here in a function yesterday, State Minister for Museums, Archaeology and Archives, Ramachandran Kadannappally said creating awareness about the history and heritage among the tech-savvy young generation is vital inorder to inspire them.

"At a time when man is gearing up to conquer space, he should also know about the roots of his hopes and dreams.

It's high time we created awareness about the importance of historical heritage of our country," he said.

"" Researchers from several countries visit our museums and palaces to enrich their knowledge, he said adding that the new website would be a great help to them.

"We have around 179 protected monuments and 12 museums under the Archaeology Department," the minister added. """" Besides the website, a YouTube channel for the Kerala Department of Archaeology was also launched during the function.

Located at the foothills of Veli hills, Western Ghats, the Padmanabhapuram Palace was the oldest seat of power of the erstwhile Travancore royal family of Kerala.

The palace complex consists of a number of function specific independent structures constructed between AD 1590 to early AD 1800s.