Place · Nayaka royal palace · India
Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, Madurai
Also known as Nayakkar Palace Madurai
The 1636 Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace at Madurai, built by Nayaka king Thirumalai Nayak (ruled 1623-1659). The Indo-Saracenic palace combines Dravida columns with Mughal-style domes and Italian plasterwork. The surviving Swarga Vilasam (celestial pavilion) with 248 pillars (each 25 metres tall) and the Rangi Vilasam entertainment hall are the main surviving portions — about one-fourth of the original complex. The 18-century collapse under Nayaka decline reduced the palace; Lord Napier's 1866 restoration preserved what remained. ASI protection since 1904. The daily sound-and-light show on Thirumalai Nayak and the Madurai Nayaka history runs each evening.
- Function
- Authority & administration
- Patron dynasty
- Madurai Nayaka
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
- Location
- 9.919, 78.123
Connections (1)
- Site withinMadurai Meenakshi
The 1636 Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace sits within Madurai, 2 kilometres southeast of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Built by Nayaka king Thirumalai Nayak, the Indo-Saracenic palace with its 248-pillar Swarga Vilasam extends the Madurai Nayaka architectural ensemble beyond the temple into the royal residential-ceremonial complex.
Sources
Standard reference.
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