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A palace for a price
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The Chittoor Palace has been restored and converted into a fine home stay resort for leisure seekers
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PHOTO: H. VIBHU
ROYAL RETREAT Feel like a king at the Chittoor Palace
Driving down the winding road from Ernakulam Town Railway station on a hot afternoon, I wonder whether the trip is worth the trouble. At the end of a nearly hour-long drive, the Palio stops in front of a padipura (entrance). I step out of the car and quickly survey the area. Unimpressive houses with concrete walls and roofing abound, refusing to merge with the greenery around. Then, I look straight ahead and can't help but smile. For what I see is a palace. If I can have it for myself for a couple of days, then the tiring drive is worth it.
The first thing that strikes me is the palace is too small. I was the first guest at the summer palace of the Maharajah of Kochi. Called the Chittoor Palace, it is located on the banks of the Chittoor backwaters. It has been restored and converted into a fine home stay resort, and has opened its doors to leisure seekers. Which means, from now on, you could live in a palace in Kerala all by yourself, of course, for a price.
Small groups
Suresh Namboothiri, who runs the place, says the palace will only cater to one family/small group at a time. This is because, the Chittoor Palace in Ernakulam District, is compact and hence, ideal for a family or small group looking to unwind. In the early centuries, the Maharajahs used the palace only once a year and, that too, for about ten days, to attend the festival at the nearby Chittoor temple.
"I have searched many records to locate the date of the palace. All that I could find was a letter written in 1893 by the then Maharajah to his nephew wherein he mentions that he was writing the letter from the Chittoor Palace," says Suresh, who is an avid student of Kerala history. There are some Dutch elements in the design of the palace, which has some resemblance to the Bolgatty Palace.
Suresh, 49, a flourishing chartered accountant, became involved in research about the palace because of his interest in Kerala history. When the Maharajah's properties were divided, Suresh's mother-in-law, Leela Thampuran (women members of Kochi royal family were called Thampurans) was given the Chittoor Palace. When Suresh returned from West Asia in 1998, he found that the property was a den of anti-social activities. Thus began a process of reclamation: initially to ensure that the property was not encroached on. It was then that the enormity of large-scale restoration hit him. Replacing tiles alone cost him a million rupees.
The restoration was expensive and time-consuming and was carried out by `Inspiration' (http://www.inspire-india.com), a firm that has engineers, architects and planners who work on restoring and revitalising traditional palaces, row houses and nalukettus for contemporary use.
The restoration intended to balance the needs of functionality without taking away the ancient charm, and used the versatility of modern materials and technologies to adapt to the traditional structures.
The palace will only serve namboothiri vegetarian food. No hard liquor, only wine and beer will be served. For those who want other food, the Marine Drive is about half-an-hour away.
"I can take them there in a motorboat...The guests will have a rowboat, a sailboat and a motorboat at their disposal," he says. A night's stay at the palace costs $ 500.
To reach the resort, mail Suresh at sureshnamboothiripad@gmail.com. He will send you a speedboat to Marine Drive or to a spot near the airport to pick you up.
R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
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