 The
history of this magnificent heritage mansion, the "Chittoor
Kottaram" dates back to a time and period steeped in folklore and cloaked with
legends built in the year 1948. A mansion built in the vicinity of the famous Chittoorappan temple, intended to equal in grandeur and stature to the Guruvayur
temple. The Raja of Cochin built this palace to cater to the use of the Raja
during his regular visits to the shrine. Thus, the splendorous "Chittoor
Kottaram"
was built nearly 50 yards from the temple.
The hosts Suresh Namboothiri, a Chartered
Accountant by profession, and wife, Jayasree Varma, a member of the erstwhile
Cochin royal family, owns Chittoor Kottaram through inheritance. The Cochin
royalty follows a matriarchal system where the inheritance of title and property
descends only through a female member of the royal family. Since the inception
of the Cochin Royalty, it has been the practice still the kingdom paved way for
a democratic state of Kerala- that a female member of the Cochin royal family
can only marry a person from a respectable Namboothiri family. As a corollary,
the Namboothiries follow the Patriarchal system. Suresh comes from an educated
family of Namboothiries. An Engineer by profession, his birthplace is Ottapalam,
where the famous river ‘Nila’ (Bharatapuzha) borders and divides the two
districts of Trichur and Palghat.
Before taking up the challenge of restoring
this heritage mansion, Suresh Namboothiri had almost a decade long assignment in
Dubai living with his family there. They are well exposed to the international
culture, standards and practices, but would like the guests to follow the
traditional culture of their family background while staying at the palace.
Suresh Namboothiri, a fine mix of the cosmopolitan and the traditional, is an
interesting host making your experience in this royal property every bit worth
your while.
Facilities & Services -
Raja Malika
- the room with architectural value is carefully done
ensuring your comfortable stay. The room also has an adjacent sitting area,
private balcony/corridor to enjoy the cool breeze peeping in through the
windows.The room also has an adjacent sitting area, private balcony/corridor to
enjoy the cool breeze peeping in through the windows.
No. of Rooms: Two. A/c.
Twin beds. With bathroom attached.
Locker facility available
Coffee/tea available in the room
Laundry service available (takes 24hours for the fresh clothes to be delivered)
Unique Experience: A century old Palace.
Cuisine -
In keeping with this simple tradition, the food served at the palace is purely
vegetarian and the menus are the dishes of the erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin. The
food is prepared in authentic style by a Kerala Brahmin—as was customary during
the days of the royalty—and is plenty in variety, rich in taste and peppered
with exotic spices.
Activities -
- Astrology
- Special Cultural shows of traditional dance
forms.
- Boat cruises
Location & Access - The Chittoor Kottaram is
situated at South Chittoor in Cochin; it’s a Big Island with branches of periyar
on four sides. It’s connected to the city of Cochin by this chittoor -vaduthala
bridge. This new bridge was commissioned in 2005, till then people where using
the old Bridge constructed by Maharaja of Kochi.
The closest Airport being Cochin International Airport is located about fifteen
miles northeast of downtown Cochin, at the intersection of NH 47, NH 17, and NH
49, three major highways in the area.
Taxis are the way to get to and from the airport. Taxis are cheap and there is
even pre-paid taxi service from the airport to many destinations in Cochin,
although they do not accept credit cards.
There are two major train stations in Cochin, known as North Station and South
Station. Cochin is serviced by Indian Railways, the government-owned rail
company. Connections are available to all major cities and regions in India.
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Room View ...
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