Ammachi Kottaram — Attraction in Kerala

Located near Peermade in the Idukki district of Kerala is a small summer retreat of the wife of the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore. Popularly known as ‘Ammachi Kottaram’, the palace was built upon the ghat at Glenrock Estate and was opened by J D Munro. The term ‘Ammachi’ literally means Mother.

However in this case, the title ‘Ammachi’ was held by the morganatic consorts of the ruling Maharajah of Travancore as well as other title holding male members of the Travancore Royal Family. This is because as per the formerly existent matriarchal system in Travancore, the Maharaja’s sister was the Maharani, and not his wife. Thus the wife, a non-royal, took the title of ‘Ammachi’.

One cannot help but notice even among the ruins, the grandeur of the small yet magnificently built palace. The entire complex consists of 3 rooms, 2 halls, one visiting room, Dining hall, Kitchen, store room and 2 secret passages. One secret passageway is for movement within the palace and the other secret passageway will take one to the Sree Krishna Temple in Peermade. But that passage is closed for security reasons.

The first room is the visiting room which is a fairly small one with a chimney in it. This room leads to a hall which was used as an assembly room by the king. At the end of the room there is a semi circled portion which adds to the beauty of the room. Two French windows accompany this room bringing in ample sunlight to the room. As you move on from this room, you step into the ‘Nadumuttam’ which is an open courtyard like are that is enclosed by walls on the 4 sides. One of these sides houses three rooms. The first one was used by the Raja, the second by the Ammachi and the third by the maids of the Ammachi. A secret passage runs through the rooms to allow access for the maids.

One of these rooms is used by the palace guide today and the other rooms are used for storing the furniture. An entertainment hall is also part of the palace. This was presumably used for the entertainment of the royal entourage. A large dining hall with majestic washbasins made of immaculate ceramic is present here. There is a kitchen adjacent to this dining hall that can accommodate a large retinue of servants at a time.

It would be fair to say that the wheels of time have taken their toll on the beauty and grandeur of the place. One can only imagine how it must have been in its prime...

Located near Peermade in the Idukki district of kerala. It's a beautiful great place to visit with family and friends. It's impossible to ignore the beauty of whole place. One cannot help but notice even among the ruins, the grandeur of the small yet magnificently built palace. The entire complex consists of 3 rooms, 2 halls, one visiting room, Dining hall, Kitchen, store room and 2 secret passages. One secret passageway is for movement within the palace and the other secret passageway will take one to the Sree Krishna Temple in Peermade. But that passage is closed for security reasons.The first room is the visiting room which is a fairly small one with a chimney in it. This room leads to a hall which was used as an assembly room by the king. At the end of the room there is a semi circled portion which adds to the beauty of the room. Two French windows accompany this room bringing in ample sunlight to the room. As you move on from this room, you step into the ‘Nadumuttam’ which is an open courtyard like are that is enclosed by walls on the 4 sides. One of these sides houses three rooms. A secret passage runs through the rooms to allow access for the maids.One of these rooms is used by the palace guide today and the other rooms are used for storing the furniture. An entertainment hall is also part of the palace. This was presumably used for the entertainment of the royal entourage. A large dining hall with majestic washbasins made of immaculate ceramic is present here. There is a kitchen adjacent to this dining hall that can accommodate a large retinue of servants at a time.It would be fair to say that the wheels of time have taken their toll on the beauty and grandeur of the place. One can only imagine how it must have been in its prime and glory days. This palace  is a definite ‘must visit’ if you...

Ammachi Kottaram, a former palace, was used as a summer residence by the Travancore Royal Family. It was constructed by Travancore Maharaja Moolam Thirunal in the 19th century. The palace is located on the Kuttikanam-mundakayam State Highway, near the Kuttikanam junction and the Misty Mountain Resort. Although there is a narrow village road that leads to the palace from Misty Mountain Resort, the road was damaged when we visited the place. Upon entering the village road, we did not come across any human beings as it is located inside the forest area and is very isolated. It took us five minutes by car to reach Ammachikottaram from the main road, and there is plenty of space for car parking, which is free of charge. After parking the vehicle, we had to walk about 50 meters to reach the palace. Unfortunately, the building was in complete disrepair, and it looked like a skeleton of its former self.

After waiting for a long time, an old lady, who turned out to be the wife of the palace caretaker, finally answered the door. We offered her some cash to allow us to tour the palace, and she agreed.

"The interior of the palace was also in complete disrepair, with all rooms, pathways, flooring, and roof suffering extensive damage. It seemed as though nobody had taken care of the maintenance for quite some time. After seeing the condition of the palace, we were extremely disappointed and decided to return to the Courtyard and travel back to Kuttikanam."

Please take note of the following information:

The place you are planning to visit is situated in an isolated area. Hence, you must take necessary precautions and visit with a group of people. There are no shops nearby, so it is recommended that you carry enough water and snacks with you. Offer some cash as entry fee, or else you will not be allowed to...