Kilimanoor Palace - Ravi Varma's Home

October 23, 2020

Kilimanoor Palace - Ravi Varma's Home

“THE WORLD IS A BOOK AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY A PAGE.”
- SAINT AUGUSTINE

This is not a travelogue but an exploration of my own home ' Kilimanoor Palace'. To the people who don’t know, Kilimanoor Palace is the birthplace of the great painter Raja Ravi Varma, the Prince among Painters and Painter among Princes. If you are into Art you may know him.

Now back to Kilimanoor Palace; 18 acres of land, 4 temples, 3 ponds, more than 40 families (in the past; now just 5), and a lot of buildings along with an art studio where Ravi Varma draw his paintings. This is my abode.

Kilimanoor Palace is located 40 kms from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in a small town called Kilimanoor (kili means birds, man means deer, so a place with deers and birds) It’s a beautiful place with good people. At the entrance you can see a huge arch that leads to the Art Gallery or the studio Ravi Varma used to paint pictures. Currently his paintings is at an Art Museum in Thiruvananthapuram. Now to your right you can see the building designed by Ravi Varma himself. Its a marvelous architecture.

Moving forward, you can see the Nadakashala (the stage) where we perform Cultural Arts, Poojas and rituals. Proceeded by a Nalukettu (Inner courtyard) and a temple (thevarapura). And there is three Kaavu (Sacred Groves) one for the Vetenkaran (the hunter, an avatar of Shiva), and one for Durga and One for Yakshi (Demigoddess). And there is story behind this Yakshi Temple. This Yakshi used to be a Bala Bhakshini (child eater) and one day Ravi Varma’s mother while she was pregnant got possessed by the Yakshi. While she was praying at the Vetenkaran Kaavu, a banyan leaf fell on her and Yakshi was reformed. Then the Yakshi left her body and blessed her child and said One day he will become a famous man and we will be proud of him. And that Yakshi eventually became a Bala Rakshini (a saviour), and till this day Pregnant woman perform a special ritual at the Yakshi Temple for their babies to get blessed by the goddess. My grandmother told this story when I was a kid.She used to tell me a lots of stories of him.

Moving forward there is a second Nadakashala and Nalukettu. It’s remarkable,hats off to the architects who designed this paradise.Sadly some of the buildings are tarnished but it’s getting renovated soon. Familes have collectively decided to protect this Paradise.