Sunday, April 14, 2013

Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Madurai

The Nayaks of Madurai ruled this place in the 16th to 17th century and during this time King Thirumalai Nayak erected a magnificent palace, the Thirumalai Nayak Palace. Built in 17th-century the palace was designed by the Italian architect. This Palace is a classic fusion of Dravidian, Islamic styles. 



The building, what we see today was the main Palace where the king lived. The original palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. 



The palace is constructed using brick and the surface details and finish is done using mix of shell lime and egg white giving it a smooth and glossy texture. The richly decorated interior is a contrast to the exterior. The pillars supporting the arches are 13 m tall.



This palace consisted mainly of two parts, namely Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa. Today, only  Swargavilasa, a spacious rectangular courtyard and a few adjoining buildings survive. The courtyard measuring 3,900 sq.m with massive circular pillars showcases the grandeur of a vanished era. The pavilions topped with finials that were covered with gold are on either side of the courtyard.



To its west lies the Throne Chamber, a vast room with a raised, octagonal dome. The palace with its exquisite decorations is very grand when compared to any other palaces in the area.




This palace is open for the visitors from 9am to 5pm.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such treasures of India ~ Magnificent photos for Mosaic Monday ^_^

Fun60 said...

What a magnificent palace. It is so ornate. It must have been quite a sight when it was in use as a palace.

eileeninmd said...

This palace looks like a wonderful place to visit. I enjoyed your photos. Have a happy week!

Shannon said...

Wow that is beautiful and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Jama said...

The building is majestically beautiful.

Teamgsquare said...

Wonderful capture

http://joshidaniel.com/ said...

great details :)

R Niranjan Das said...

It looks beautiful. Nice post.

http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/04/talakona-waterfalls-hidden-secret.html

Zuzana said...

Oh, what a majestic palace! Your photography is superb, but I bet it was truly awesome to see this in real life.;)
xoxo

Anonymous said...

Beautiful Pics and post!

Leovi said...

Yes, certainly is very nice with excellent colored columns.

Karen said...

The intricate carving is awesome!

Kusum said...

Wow! Looks magnificent!

Sylvia K said...

Another awesome palace and superb captures, Rajesh!! Thanks for sharing your wonderful world!

Randi said...

Amazing palace! Awesome captures!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

So amazing Rajesh...I learn something new everytime I visit. Not the most important thing I learned here today, but fascinating to me was the paint made with lime and egg white!

Laura said...

such exquisite details!

Lowell said...

The people help give a sense of scale to this majestic place. And to think this is just one of hundreds such palaces/temples! Amazing!

Photo Cache said...

mind blowing architecture. very romantic i think.

genie said...

This has to be one of the prettiest architectural marvels you have ever posted. I can't get over the use of egg whites in the painting. That is so interesting. The high ceiling is awesome...really beautiful. The builders of years ago left no stone unturned when constructing this palace. genie

Sylvia K said...

Such a beautiful place, Rajesh, and your captures are terrific as always!! I left a comment earlier, but for some reason it disappeared???? Anyway, it's a great post as always! Have a good week!

LifeRamblings said...

such a beautiful palace. the dome looks splendidly remarkable.

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a magnificent place!

Jeevan said...

This is one of a place i wanted to visit!. Your pictures captured the grandeur well!

Vineeta Yashsavi said...

Interesting Post...

George said...

This is a magnificent palace. The arches are amazing. It's hard to imagine what the complete complex looked like all those years ago.

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Meravigliosa architettura.
Mi piacerebbe molto poter visitare l'India.
E' una nazione piena di mistero e religiosità.
By Myriam :))

Marleen said...

A very impressive building. Great captures.

Roger Owen Green said...

there are so many of these amazing places!

photowannabe said...

Such intricate work is amazing. To think there were finishing glazes made of egg whites and shells boggles my mind.

Leslie: said...

Another reason to visit India some day! Nice!

Leslie
abcw team

carol l mckenna said...

Gorgeous photography for ABC ^_^ ~ magnificent buildings.

Carver said...

That's a beautiful palace. I love the intricate work around the arches.

Indrani said...

I missed this in Madurai! Just visited the temple and came off.

LONDONLULU said...

So beautiful and regal - I love the detail. Nicely captured for "N"!

Eden said...

Great shots! Impressive architecture.

Anonymous said...

Amazing architecture!

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating the beautiful palace.

Nanka said...

A ravishing beauty this palace!! The octagonal dome is magnificent!!

Chubskulit Rose said...

Always a great detailed buildings.


Falling behind with letter N but trying to catch up before letter O rolls in.
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

AmitAag said...

Imposing architecture wonderfully shot!