Thevally Palace, Kollam. a legacy of Travancore Rani Gauri Parvathi Bayi

Invariably, most of the palaces of Kerala built centuries ago by the rulers followed the native style in design and construction and the European style in this part did not impact this region very much. The Kerala  style architecture gives space for harmonious relation between the building and the native terrain that receives lots of rain during the monsoons, in particular SW monsoon. With the advent of Europeans in this part on the coastal Malabar the vernacular  architecture underwent minor changes, but  not appreciably as in other states like Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Some palaces like the Mattancherry palace, Kochi and Hill palace in the Tripunithura neighborhood of Kochi city show European influence in the design style.  Thevally Palace, Kollam is architecturally a fine structure, blending three styles- Portuguese, Dutch and the British; its plus point is its serene ambiance on the shore of a big lake.   

residence of maharajah Thevelly palace 1900,Kollam
upload.wikimedia.org

Above image: Thevally Palace, Kollam, Kerala circa 1900

 Thevelly palace kollam.  tripvibe.online

Built in between 1811 and 1819, during the reign of Gowri Parvati Bayi (1802–1853), she was the Regent of the state of Travancore in 1815-1829. and finally  relinquished  her regency in favor of her nephew, Maharajah Swathi Thirunal.  Thevally Palace of Kollam is a good example of Kerala style structure with a ground floor and first floor above it. The gabled first floor mostly made of quality wood has tiled sloping roof. On either side of the building on the ground floor the veranda has a tiled sloping roof with arched opening. the entrance  porch is a simple one  This palace was used by the rulers of Travancore on their visit to Kollam to meet the British Resident on official duty. The topic of discussion was mostly related to administrative matters, revenue, etc.  The architecture of the palace is a an amalgamation of  British, Dutch and Portuguese design elements and these European powers centuries ago competed against each other over mercantile trade activities and tried hard to establish their hegemony  here.    

Then  Kollam was the capital of Travancore kingdom and Thevally palace on the banks of Ashtamudi lake then served as the administrative hub of the kingdom. Before India's  independence, the commercial capital of Travancore kingdom was Quilon (Kollam) and it had a flourishing port.  The palace walls are made of laterite stone with lime - sand mortar. plaster  Like many palaces of Kerala with attached shrine for the royal family's Deivam /Devata, this palace has a temple dedicated to god Sastha (Sri Ayyappan)..

 The impressive 'Thevally Palace,' which is about 25 km from Kollam can be easily accessed through the  scenic Ashtamudi Lake. Surrounded by fine greenery - lush green coconut groves and palm trees, lots of tourist come to this spot using boat-house tour packages to seek peace of mind and be away from urban mess. The Palace itself offers a panoramic view of the near by villages clear view of the nearby villages with a vast expanse of greenery with dense coconut  trees forming the canopy. 

https://www.indianetzone.com/76/thevally_palace.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thevally_Palace

https://tripvibe.online/palaces-and-museum-in-kollam/