Located in a small village called Padmanabhapuram, at a distance of 65 km from Thiruvananthapuram. The palace complex is inside an old granite fortress around 4 km long. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli hills, which form a part of the Western Ghats. The river Valli flows nearby.
The palace walls are adorned with ancient murals that date back to the 17th century. The ancient relics include royal seats with Chinese engravings, musical bow in mahogany, coloured windows, beautifully painted and carved rosewood ceilings etc.
The interiors of the palace are magnificent and give an idea of the royal life that one must have led in the palace. A big hall called the Durbar hall has shiny black flooring. It may seem like a granite floor at a glance but in reality, the floor is made of a combination of jaggery, lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand. This floor could not be duplicated again in any construction. The palace also has a secret underground escape route (now blocked), open air swimming pool, dance hall, massive paintings and idols of Indian Gods and Goddesses, carved figurines carrying lamps, etc. There is also a unique stonewall that is held together till date without the use of mortar.
