Madikeri :

The Nalkunadu palace in Yuvakapadi, 30 km from Madikeri, was built in the late 18th century by Doddaveera Rajendra, a king of the Haleri dynasty. The last king who lived there, Chikaveera Rajendra, was immortalised in fiction by the celebrated Kannada writer Masti Venkatesa Iyengar. The palace is also called Nalnad aremane in Kodava parlance.

The palace is now attracting a huge number of tourists. Its unique features include a mantap where marriages were solemnised. The palace stands atop a hillock next to Tandiyandamol, the highest peak of district. (This breathtaking expanse is drawing bigger numbers after it was featured as Mugilupete in the hit Kannada film Gaalipata).

Built in brick and mortar, the palace is about 65 feet wide, and has a spacious verandah. The ground floor has a wooden roof with carvings, depicting flowers, vines, dancing girls, musicians, and a king and queen. The style is Indo-Saracenic. A 6×10 ft mural depicts the king in a procession, but it is damaged. Four dark rooms at the back, historians say, were used as a prison.

A spacious darbar hall, several baths and chambers for the king and queen are still in evidence. In 1796, king Doddaveera Rajendra married Mahadevammaji, his second wife, at the mantap here.

Some walls have lime carvings of the two-head mythical bird Gandabherunda, elephants, and lions. Artists from Rajasthan and Mysore were brought in for the special carvings, some of which have been ravaged by time. Similar architecture is seen at the Madikeri Omkareshwara temple.

Surrounded by lush greenery, the palace had a copper kalasha (cupola) on its roof which, elderly people say, is now obscured.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / July 03rd, 2016