Kalari Kovilakom palace built in 1890 by the Kollengode royals is set within the grounds of the old Vengunad kingdom located in North Kerala, India. it is said to have been built by Queen (Rani) Dhatri Tamburatti who gave importance to aesthetics and age old tradition. Kollengode in Palakkad Dt. was the old princely capital town. The nearest international airport is Cochin about 105 km, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
It was in 1957 the sate government of Kerala run by the communist party (democratically elected) headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad embarked on serious program to take over fertile lands etc., owned by landlords under state land reforms scheme (controversial Land Reforms Ordinance). It very much affected the landlords of Kerala and their livelihood. To avoid being taken over by the government without any compensation that would put the palace in disrepair, the Kollengode royals put Kalari Kovilakom palace on sale and it was bought by a small family-run travel company called CGH Earth. The initials stand for Clean, Green and Healthy. The company is a promoter of old Indian Medicine system -Ayurveda, For the guests visiting this old 19th century palace a blend of modem luxury and monastic austerity to get the mind and body in union will create a nonpareil experience.
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Kovilokom palace betterinteriors.in
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Above image: Here the raised platform is used for lectures and classical performances before the select audience. Look at the nicely carved wooden pillars and wooden false ceiling all around.
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CGH soon launched a restoration project to retain the old heritage values and carefully conserved many rooms with intricately carved pillars wooden doors, ceilings etc., along with the green court- yard to create a 'palace for relaxation' for health conscious people. As ayurveda' is quite popular in Kerala, the old structure was converted into palazzo for Ayurveda which has been around in India since 2000 BE. So the aim was creation of 'an indulgent yet austere 'palace for ayurveda'. Ayurveda focuses on boosting body immunity, with natural herbal treatment and promotes physical and mental well being. This way it prepares the human body to protect it against stressed mind
The restoration work was done several years ago in the old palace and part of it included rainwater harvesting facility; collected water will be reprocessed for consumption. Special system was provided to process wastewater from bathrooms, kitchens and treatment rooms and the water is used to maintain the greenery around. A herbal garden is being maintained there and they use only compost kitchen waste as plant fertilizer; no chemical fertilizers are used for the garden.
Palace’s age old teak-columned airy spacious halls, with exquisite images of gods and goddesses carved into the ceiling, minimum lighting indoors, the surrounding lush green scenery and the mountains in the back drop provide a soothing ambiance for those who seek holidays as well as age-old old Indian medical treatment to get rejuvenation in a natural way.
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Kovilokom palace, Palakkad, Kerala etterinteriors.in
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Above image: Palace entrance in the colonial section: Impressive passageway lined with well-made wooden pillars. The central foyer-has a dome like feature connected to the palace and colonial wing. No one can miss the intricate wood work. The periphery of this circular space is lined with wooden benches. The old chandelier here and the nice wood carvings in the ceiling and pillars were carefully restored as part of major conservation work...........................
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Above image: The state of Kerala is quite popular for residences with Nallukettu - meaning four independent self- contained quarters with a common courtyard.
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Above image: Many of the south Indian residences in the past had a small court yard (in Malayalam nadumuttam; in Tamil mittham, it is common in Agrahara houses) for free air-circulation and lighting. Here the palace has a nadumuttam to have natural lighting in the dark interiors. Normally, the passage or pathway is around the nadumuttam. There is an ample provision for movement of fresh air indoors. Note the thick beautifully carved timber pillars and the red oxide floor. This type of flooring and the ambiance are reminiscent of the famous Chettinadu houses of Tamil Nadu..........
According to the conservationist Sri Ajit in the nallukettu part of the palace some were all the old timber widows, doors, ceiling, pillars, etc., were in a good condition and were retained and repaired out of necessity. In the case old style traditional red-oxide flooring beyond restoration, similar flooring was done with masons who knew the technique well. As for some verandahs, flat terracotta tiles were used to get a better appeal.
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| Location Palakkad, Kerala maps.newkerala.com |
The restoration work included new guest rooms and it was done by wood partition of large size verandah. On the exterior walls the previous synthetic paint was carefully scraped back to bring out the original paintings on the arches and windows.
In some parts of the palace for restoration and new additions old technique was followed - the conservation Co diligently used lime-mortar for the new structure and plastering work. Yet another interesting fact is use of custom made Chettinadu famous Athangudi tiles with age old traditional and colorful patterns for the 8 spacious rooms in the colonial wing. Each room was laid with differently designed tiles of eye-catching color. At Kalari Kovilakom though the 18 rooms have a common design- norm each guest room has its own individuality and aura. At Kalari Kovilakom, the new structures - dining area and a two-story building (overlooking the pond/kulam) that houses two guest rooms appear to be incongruity with old structure.
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Above image: Sloping roofed verandah with masonry pillars supporting the long wooden beam that supports the wooden rafters above. The extended sloping helps protect the wall from rains and cut down the glare from the sunlight. The balusters appear to be designed using concrete? Note the old-styled plain glass covered lamps hanging from the ceiling, imparting a vintage look. The tiles appear to be of Attankudi type?.......................................
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Above image: The dining area seems to be a new addition that is done matching the old style of the palace. The specialty is the use of traditional charupadi (bench seating - the charupadi is a wooden structure with a flat base and a contoured backrest with horizontal wooden slats to let in air and light. The structure is mounted on the base of the building and often juts out to save space. The flat base also acts as a bench to put up one's feet or take a mid-noon nap) so the guests (who mostly come alone or as couples) can come together and as a community indulge in casual talk during meals.........................
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Above image: Note the native styled sloping roof covering the windows. The arched windows on the first floor give a better look....................
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Tit-Bits:
Innumerable paintings more than 150, including original lithograph of Raja Ravi Varma and manuscripts from this palace were on the verge of destruction due to termites and moth attack.
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After two years of painstaking efforts, several of them were restored. Thanks to the team from INTACH - Conservation Research and Training Centre, Indian National Trust for Art and cultural Heritage (INTACH). Also restored were 13 Palm leaves manuscripts from the palace containing treatments for snakebites, skin diseases, and various other ailments. Ayurvedic remedies had also been mentioned in some. It is said palm leaves collected from various places in Kerala are preserved at the Thripunithura museum.
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