THIRUMALAI NAICKER PALACE , MADURAI

THIRUMALAI NAICKER PALACE , MADURAI – A GLANCE..

TamilNadu is a grand repository of ancient cultural and natural treasures of exceptional value. In this way temple city of Madurai has played a remarkable role in the history of south. The antiquity of this city goes back to 2500 years. Third Tamil Sangam was functioned from this city. History reveals as its glories trade relations linked up to the Roman empire of Italy in early 2^nd Century ACE. Sandal, Pearl, Semi precious stone beads, conch, bangle, cloths are exported to Rome; Wine, revaluated potteries are some of the imports.

In early Pandiyan period, Madurai town layout was like a lotus. Madurai was referred as Koodal Maanagar, Mukkoodal, Alavaay Nagar in old Sangam literature and in inscriptions. The three Tamil Sangam literary Associations were operated at Madurai by Pandiyan Kings. The Sangam literature refers as the wood workers from Rome are utilized for making pillars and podigai for early Pandiyan Palace decorative works.

HISTORY OF THIRUMALAI NAYAK PALACE

This Magnificent Palace was constructed in the year 1636 A.D. by King Thirumalai Naicker (1623-1659 ACE) who ruled as the seventh ruler of Madurai Nayak dynasty and designed by an Italian Architect, with huge tall pillars of 32 feet (average) height and 18 feet (average) circumference.

The early Palace enclosures may have its main entrance at Manjanakara Street with enclosures of a theatre, a Palace shrine, Queens apartments, an armory, building for housing palanquins, royal bandstand, quarters for relatives and servants, a pond garden etc. The length of enclosure walls are 900 feet length in East West and 660 feet in North South and 40 feet height. It took seven years to complete the old Palace which is four times bigger than the present one. The Palace originally consisted with Swarga Vilasam & Ranga Vilasam.

Ranga Vilasam was purely a residential quarter in which Muthialu Naick, brother of Thirumalai Naick lived. In addition, Rajarajeswari Amman Shrine, Queens Chambers, Armoury, a water fountain, a Pool, residential quarters of servant and relatives were located. Only one forth of the Palaces is now in existence, which is the king’s pavilion, pooja room, dancing hall and the bed room.

The original entrance of this Palace stood on the Northern side of the present Palace, i.e. through Ranga Vilasam Palace is remains which are now called as Ten Pillars lane. The four boundaries of those twin Palaces are East Veli Street, south Veli Street, West- Manjanakara Street, North Vilakkuthoon. These Palace enclosures are having a compound, and also having a city enclosure fortification wall all around outer Veli Streets with seventy two bastions. These fortifications are dismantled in the year 1901 by a British Engineer Mr.Marrat with the help of Perumal Maistry. Only one bastion is now in existence at the western end of Nethaji Road near Katta bomman Statue Roundana and the same being utilized as a sub office of the Madurai Corporation.

ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY OF THIS PALACE:

An architectural point of view it is believed to have been designed by an Italian Architect and considered the “most marvellous” building south of Bombay.

Main portion of the rectangular open court yard in the centre of the Palace measures 50.00 Meters east and west by 32.00 meters north and south surrounded by inner and outer corridor with rows of various sizes tall colonnades on either side, the vaults and domes supported by gothic arches rest over the capital of the pillars. The Mahara thoranas ate embedded at the edge of the gothic arches. The top parapets of open court yard are decorated with boothavari and dragons etc. The inner corridors are having three domes on each side. The square base rest over the four pillars are covered as octagonal sides by providing four triangles, supported by teak wood beams with Thuthiyali figures which rest over an elephant which is standing over a pillar. The octagonal side walls raised are converted as sixteen sides by providing eight triangular projection having Thuthiyali with poocharam. Then, these sides are converted in to spherical and embedded with lotus stucco works of four petals with kodi, kodipalai and kandarvas behind the petal. The gothic arches are having kodi mangai at its top. The angels, doves, parrots and other miniature ornaments are decorated inside the spherical domes. Inclined ventilators are provided at the side walls for natural lightning and air circulation. Complete ornamentation is worked out in the exquisitely fine stucco using Chunam.

The Raja dome at Swargavilasam which is called king’s celestial pavilion approached by a flight of steps guarded by sculptures of horse riders having 75.00 meters from north to south by 52.00 meters across and 32.00 Meters height which rest over twelve pillars, three in each corner enclosing a square 21.00 meters across. These columns are first linked together by massive saracenic arches. Four similar arches are then thrown across the corner and the octagonal drum rises from these pierced by celestory. Above these cornice 15 metres up, the octagon changed to a circle and the dome rises in the surrounded on all sides by arcades of very great beauty. The supporting pillars are of stone 12.0 metres in height and are joined by foliated brick arcade of great elegance and design carrying a cornice and entablature rising to upward of 20.0 metres in height. The Eastern façade of Swargavilasam are decorated with Niches, Mahara thoranas, Flower petal pouring angels and Naasithalai at the top of the Gothic arches. Veena Saraswathi,Vishnu , Kodimangai, Pushpapothigai , Kodikarukku etc; are seen on the sides. The octagonal side walls are strengthened with mugabadras at its junctions. Cavity walls with segmental arch opening of two rows are provided in first floor for providing natural cooling at the king’s pavilion on the west and also for the vaulted roofs of ministers seat on the south and north side of Dharbar hall. According to the historical records, the Great Nayak ruler used the pavilion for celebrating festivals like Chitrai and Navarathiri during which vassals used to pay tributes and present costly jewels and other gifts to the king. The bottom of the adjacent domes at Swargavilisam is decorated with palm leaf bracings. The barrel vault of the adjacent ceiling are decorated with bootha ganas holdings the roof intact.

The most beautiful stucco works are embedded at the dancing hall, which is basically the replica design located on the North West corner of the building, the roof of which is a pointed arch of brick work strengthened by granite ribs springing from a double series, one above the other, of pointed arches supported on columns. Behind the upper series of these arch runs a gallery of Pallavas style at Mamallapuram. The special futures of the dancing hall is the king use to sit on the western corridor and the dance performance was held at the depressed floor at the down steps east of it. The ministers and other gents were sitting in the raised portions adjacent to east of the dancing floor. The royal Queen and other maids were sitting on the eastern corridor of the first floor. The royal ladies in first floor are unable to see the gents on the ground floor platform and they may see the performance & the kings only. Similarly, the gents on the eastern platform when they turned back they are also unable to see the ladies behind them on the first floor. The concept behind these techniques is the parapet wall in front of the queens in eastern corridor of first floor is 6.5 feet thick by which the eye angle inclination fell in to the dancing platform and beyond.

The ribs are raised up to the roof on either side. The pancharas with Nagabandas rest over the capital of the dancing hall short pillars. Kodi coming out of a dragon mouth in the pancharas are of minute ornamental beauty. Swans, parrot, lion with wings dove, Dwarabalagas, maharathoranas with yali, lion, elephant, cow are decorated at the edge of the Gothic arches.

The karukku decorated at the edge of the thoranas over the steel fishplate of British period, indicate the later period architecture. The lion with wings are found to be of foreign influence. The elevated middle facades are full of stucco works of architectural beauty.

The Pooja room is having Ashtangavimana with a flat ceiling at the edge of inclination at the top of inner roof. The flat ceiling is decorated with lotus of colourful beauty. The pooja room is having two black polished granite pillars on south side with a highly elevated madras terrace roof behind it. The doors are raised to a height of 20 feet in order to enter the elephant which carry the sengol procession from Meenakshi Amman temple to this pooja room during Dashara festival. The Madras terraced roof was constructed during British period after dilapidation of the roof which is seen on the adjacent ground.

The harem portion sides walls are constructed by the British were as the main walls are explored adjacent of it at the basement level. The bed room is the only square building having an elevated hemispherical dome at the middle and vaults around it. Ventilators are provided at the octagonal side walls. The ribs and kumba pancharas are decorated inside the roof.

There are 248 pillars all over the Mahal portions as detailed below:-

1. Entrance 2

2. Pillars in Corridor 158

3. Pillars in Ground Floor 40

4. Pillars in Pooja Room 2

5. Pillars in Grinding Room 2

6. Pillars in Natagasalai 24

7. Pillars in western side of Natakasalai 12

8. Pilaars in Palliyarai (Square) 8

Total Pillars in Nayak Palace 248 Nos.

The pillars central core is with granites stone of semicircular and circular in shapes. During renovation works, while 5 layers of plastering were removed from court yard pillars, 32 paintings of Thirumalai Nayak period has been found out. This denotes during Thirumalai Nayak period these pillars are with crude granite stone only. These line drawings drawn as ladies with kalasam, mulaipari and other auspicious things welcoming the inmates with kolavai sound which is the traditional welcome of the Pandia country. These pillars are spread with semi solid grinded lime mortar by hand as a base coat and other four layers of plastering were laid decade by decades in the later period. Intact paintings have been preserved carefully with plastic sheets visible for public.

The anivertikal (Sub-column) are provided at the Kalyana mahal portion in front of Swaragavilasam in order to increase the arch width for safe distribution of big barrel vaulted roof load into the basement. The beam is squared and projected beyond the capital on the northern side middle bay pillar which leads to crack and failure in early British period was mended by them during 1997.

The lotus stucco works are found in the outer hemispherical Raja dome, Kalyana mahal vault, Eastern hemispherical domes, etc. The Raja dome kalasam is of 9’-6” height, where as the minister dome kalasam is of 6’-6” height. The kalasam are having a teak wood decoration at the middle with a painted edge penetrated in to the roof structure. The kalasam are five and eleven numbers in vaults and single in hemispherical domes. There are thirteen domes and six vaults all over the roof area of ground, first and second floors.

The foliations in Gothic arch projections are having wooden reapers twisted with coir ropes, mended with brick bats and plastered. The corbels in vaults and domes are having teak wood beams, twisted with coir ropes and coping with flat tiles in lime mortar. The floorings are provided with cut stone pavement over a base of pebble stone lime concrete. The basements are with two stages with Upa peedam and Adishthanam of ashlars’ masonry.

Thus, the ancient treasure of Madurai city is proved that the architecturally – rich Thirumalai Naicker Mahal stands gigantic manner with majestic pillars with images of the wonderful and curious workman ship, glow under the spot light.

This Palace will be open to public for all 365 Days without any break.. Timings :10.00 A.M - 5.00P.M

Sound and Light show conducted by the TamilNadu Tourism development Corporation by making certain improvements in the text which throws light on the heritage – rich Madurai city and its unique festival besides Naicker’s achievements, including his victory in the battle with the king of Mysore with digital Technology. The sound and light show which will run for 50 minutes is conducted both Tamil and the language as two shows per day.

Timings for Sound and Light show

English Version : 6.45 P.M

Tamil Version : 8.00 P.M

Jhal Muri Recipe

Jhal Muri Recipe

This recipe can be prepared quickly

Ingredients :

• 4 cups murmura (puffed rice,can buy ready-made)
• 2 big onions - chopped finely
• 1/2 cup namkeen sev (buy ready-made)
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts (moongphali, buy ready-made)
• 1/4 cup roasted channas (ready-made)
• 1-2 green chillies - chopped finely
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp mustard oil (if u like)
• 1 tbsp saunth or quick meethi chutney (if u like)


preparation method

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix well .
Serve immediately

Wishing U all HAPPY DIWALI