Established in the year 1855 this art & history museum was named after Lord Napier who was the governor of the then Madras (Chennai) from 1866 - 1872. Designed by Robert Chisholm, this architectural master piece was completed in the year 1880. Its gothic style architecture & minarets along with its Indo-Gothic structures boasts of natural air conditioning! This museum houses rare collections of bronze idols, ancient ornaments, temple chariot & ivory carvings.
It was the home of the Rajas of the Travancore (1550 to 1750 CE) in southern Kerala. The palace was constructed around 1601 AD and is surrounded by a 4 km-long stone fort built at the same time. The buildings are constructed from wood and stone and built in Kerala's indigenous style of architecture. Contained within the complex is a collection of 14 palaces and 127 beautiful royal rooms, many of which feature ornate wood carvings. The carved ceilings of the palace depict 90 varieties of flowers. Paintings, hundreds of year old, and stone statues, some over 1000 years old, are on display on the palace grounds
Located in the heart of the city is the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Run by a trust headed by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, this temple is one of the 108 holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the main attraction here is the deity of Padmanabhaswamy, which is enshrined in a reclining posture on a serpant called Anantha. The main deity of Lord Vishnu has his consorts Sridevi (Goddess of prosperity) & Bhudevi (Goddess of Earth) by his side. Only Hindus are permitted inside the temple.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery is situated adjacent to the Napier museum and has an explicit collection of Raja Ravi Varma paintings. Also on display are exquisite Mughal, Rajasthani & Rajput. The Tanjore and Balinese paintings popular for their intricate & elegant stone work with rich colors used in the paintings reflect the jewels of Indian art. The Sree Chithra gallery has an international appeal to art lovers with its display of Tibetan, Chinese & Japanese art works.
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