Paliam Historical Tour

As mentioned earlier Chendamangalam reached its zenith under the Paliath Achans and prospered as an excellent model of religious tolerance. Paliam family is one of the most ancient families in Kerala, with almost 500 years of history. This circuit includes monuments depicting the rich history of the Paliam family and Kerala such as the Dutch Palace, Nalukettu, Puthiyathrikovu Shiva Temple, Chendatrikkovu Vishnu temple, and the famous handloom weaving of Chendamangalam.

Chendatrikkovu Vishnu temple: The antiquity and fame of this Mahavishnu temple is evident from the reference in "Vishnuvilasam" a rare poetic composition. The Chendamangalam village derived its name from this temple. The temple had 4 gopurams out of which 3 exist today. The temple is more than 1000 years old.

Dutch Palace, Chendamangalam: This Palace, built by the Dutch was once used as the residence of the Paliath Achans, who were the prime ministers to the former Maharajas of the State of Kochi. In addition to this building, there are a number of secondary buildings, which are anywhere between 250 to 300 years old.

Nalukettu, Chendamangalam: This Nallukettu has a big courtyard at the centre, with rooms surrounding it and a Purathalam, where the household members gathered to chat and engage themselves in recreational activities. Everyone dined together and lived together, under the protection of Valiachan. In this kind of community living, there was no need for anyone to handle money, as everything was provided by the administration.

Puthiyathrikovu Shiva Temple: This temple is very close to the Paliam Tharavadu. The famous festival of Shivarathri coincides with the annual festival of this temple. The annual festival is a 7 day celebration, in the month of February or March according to the Malayalam month of Kumbham.

Handloom Weaving: Due to the dexterity of the weavers of those days, Chendamangalam fabrics were known for their excellent quality. The handloom products of this region represented the entire Kerala handloom industry. Chendamangalam saris are still famous today.