Mattancherry Palace - a Triumphing World Heritage Site

It seems that the very prominent Mattancherry Palace may perhaps have to hang around for an extended period of time to pierce the hall of fame of World Heritage Sites (WHS) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Constructed by the Portuguese around 1555 AD, the Mattancherry Palace is the only spot in the city to be included in the faltering list of the World Heritage Committee.

Henceforth, the Archaeological Survey of India designated the asset to the WHS in 1998 due to its stupendous worldwide value in the cultural site.

Inspite of bearing 19 sites of Western Ghats in the state of Kerala, no other site from the region has achieved the WHS proposal from the State. It has been two years since the National Parks of the Western Ghats were emblazoned as World Heritage Sites in the “Natural” listing of the panel.

With respect to the cultural category, the Mattancherry Palace was the first site to make it to the preliminary list of the WHS from Kerala. The previous year, Padmanabhapuram Palace was selected shawdowed by Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, Vaikkom Mahadeva Temple and Sivagiri Madhom this year. It has been 16 years since the designation and Mattancherry Palace waits to seek the attention of the authorities concerned. Inspite of that, the palace complex is one of the major tourist attractions of the Kochi as well as its native state of Kerala.

According to M. Nambirajan, the Director (Monument, World Heritage Section) of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, it might take some more years for the palace complex to be reviewed for the list. It’s not in the instant precedence list of cultural sites that would come up before the Committee. Yet, it must not be concluded that the matter woyld not be considered. He later said that the palace would be contemplated later.

The World Heritage Site confessed that the Doha session of the World Heritage Committee, which would supposedly begin on June 15, was probable to engrave “Rani ki vav,” on the eminent step well positioned in Patan town in the state of Gujarat.

Some of the sites which have been emblazoned as WHS in the culture category incorporate Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Churches and Convents of Goa and Elephanta Caves, Hill Forts of Rajasthan, Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Taj Mahal and Jantar Mantar, Jaipur.

The Mattancherry Palace is one of those sites of Kerala that showcases its royalty and also preserves, protects and promotes the cultural heritage of Kerala. It came to be known as the Dutch Palace after the Dutch carried out some restoration work. Not only the Dutch, but a few kings, occupying the palace, also contributed, instilling some variations from different cultures, thus giving it a vibrant yet ordered look. 

Today, the palace brags of having the biggest amount of paintings of Kochi Rajas. The palace is extremely popular for some eye-seizing and creative and artistic legendary sculptures in India which sprawl over more than 300ft of the palace fortifications.