Arakkal Palace , Kannur
The Arakkal Palace is located in Kannur district and is owned by the only royal Muslim family in Kerala known as the Arakkal family and the Arakkal museum is dedicated to this family. The museum is only a section of the palace which holds the durbar hall. Even though the museum has been renovated by the government at a whopping cost of rupees 9,000,000 the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Muslim family. The Arakkal family trust does not fall under the control of any of the government department primarily the archaeology department. It is located three kilometres from Kannur town.
The architecture is interesting exhibiting local flavours such as using materials like wood and laterite and there is a large open ground to offer the daily Muslim prayers which is done for five times called “Namaz”. “Kettu” is the palace complex which interconnects the Namaz area. There are four mosques around the palace. One of these blocks has a cot, seating chair and a lamp is always lit as this place is considered sacred. It looks like business was booming at this time as there were trade houses and warehouse facilities. The family followed a matrilineal system of descent and there was no discrimination done based on gender. The male rulers were known as Arakkal Raja and the female rulers were known as Arakkal Beewis.
Structurally, the upper floor of the palace has large halls with wooden floors. Windows of the palace are mostly double shuttered and have colored glass panes of red or blue, providing colorful display of light inside. The roof construction involves wooden rafter, purlin, reaper and tiles system. Rafters comprise wood and bamboo tied to the purlin and reapers. The two-layered roof tile is fish tiles and Mangalore tiles.
Those with a genuine interest in architecture and also in history would find the Arakkal Palace in Kannur a destination worth visiting more than once.
The Arakkal Palace is located in Kannur district and is owned by the only royal Muslim family in Kerala known as the Arakkal family and the Arakkal museum is dedicated to this family. The museum is only a section of the palace which holds the durbar hall. Even though the museum has been renovated by the government at a whopping cost of rupees 9,000,000 the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Muslim family. The Arakkal family trust does not fall under the control of any of the government department primarily the archaeology department. It is located three kilometres from Kannur town.
The architecture is interesting exhibiting local flavours such as using materials like wood and laterite and there is a large open ground to offer the daily Muslim prayers which is done for five times called “Namaz”. “Kettu” is the palace complex which interconnects the Namaz area. There are four mosques around the palace. One of these blocks has a cot, seating chair and a lamp is always lit as this place is considered sacred. It looks like business was booming at this time as there were trade houses and warehouse facilities. The family followed a matrilineal system of descent and there was no discrimination done based on gender. The male rulers were known as Arakkal Raja and the female rulers were known as Arakkal Beewis.
Structurally, the upper floor of the palace has large halls with wooden floors. Windows of the palace are mostly double shuttered and have colored glass panes of red or blue, providing colorful display of light inside. The roof construction involves wooden rafter, purlin, reaper and tiles system. Rafters comprise wood and bamboo tied to the purlin and reapers. The two-layered roof tile is fish tiles and Mangalore tiles.
Those with a genuine interest in architecture and also in history would find the Arakkal Palace in Kannur a destination worth visiting more than once.
How to reach Arakkal Palace:
By Air: Karipur International airport
By Train: Kannur railway station
By bus: Kannur bus stand
By Train: Kannur railway station
By bus: Kannur bus stand
Courtesy:internet , word of mouth
