Monuments of India - Thirumalai Nayaka Palace

On the India Map: Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Year: 1639 AD

Built by: Thirumalai Nayaka, of the Nayaka Dynasty

In the pic is the striking interior of the Thirumalai Nayaka Palace. It was built in 1636 AD by king Thirumalai Nayaka .

The architecture is a fusion of Dravidian and Rajput style.The grand pillars’ height is 82 feet and width 19 feet. The structure was constructed usingbrickwork and the surface finish is using  chunnam (shell lime), mixed with egg white to obtain a smooth and glossy texture. 


Legend has it that the king once set up a challenge, saying no human could scale the walls of the palace. As with all challenges, one man took it up and managed to get inside the palace in the stealth of the night . True to his word, the king is supposed to have rewarded him handsomely for his “feat".  Even thievery done with excellence was seen as an art, such was the greatness and splendour of our historic nation.

Currently only part of the original palace remains. King Thirumalai's grandson demolished the structure to take the woodwork, carvings and jewels for his palace in Thiruchirapalli. 

The Nayaka dynsaty ruled Madurai for almost 2 centuries starting from 1545 AD. Thirumalai Nayakar was the greatest king of all, for his contribution to building many landmarks in an around the city of Madurai.

In our blog, we are doing a tribute to the lesser known monuments of India. Keeping it succint  to keep it interesting. This is the first blog in the series.

We have a monument map of India that is designed for youn kids, with states, capitals and one or two landmarks in the state. Check that map here - MAP


Previous article
Next article