Koyikkal Palace, the royal seat of the Perakathavazhy Swaroopam, a collateral branch of Venad is a living symbol of the pinnacle of traditional architecture which prevailed in Kerala during the Seventeenth century. The Palace renowned for its unstincted use of wood has a nalukettu structure with central courtyard, gabled roof, ornate pillars and long corridors This two storeyed royal residence symbolizes the stylistic perfection of mediaeval architecture of South Kerala and regarded as the most ancient palace built by the rulers of Venad.
koyikkal kottaram at nedumangad in kerala The Palace is square on plan. The nadumuttam or central courtyard is paved with granite. Like other palaces of Travancore, there used stone pipes for underground drainage system to letting out water from the Nadumuttam. Beautifully carved granite pillars in the four sides of the veranda around the nadumuttam are wonderful specimen of craftsmanship of the bygone era. The nilavara or strong room in one of the rooms of the ground floor of the palace, which is said to be connected with an underground passage to another palace at Karupur. But there is no archaeological evidence to prove this assumption. One of the rooms near the entrance of the palace was used as a puja room where a traditional diety known as ‘Mallan Thampuran’ had been worshipped. Like many other palace of the rulers of Venad this palace also has a temple attached to it, the entrance to which is at presently blocked from the palace side. All essential ancellary structures like padippura, kitchen, oottupura, urappura, kulappura etc. are completely vanished. A small pond which has survived through the onslaught of time, nature and men is preseved in the compound. The old type well in the palace compound is still remains useful. On the first floor, there is a wide gabled balcony with ornate wooden trelliswork, facing the east. The entrance to the palace is from the east through a narrow simple gabled opening. Though there are no windows in the rooms, a veranda enclosed with wooden railing in all the four sides of the palace in the ground and first floor controls the air circulation inside the palace. The thick walls built with laterite blocks set in lime mortar with finely plasterd surfaces enhance the elegance of the palace.
