Report on the Field trip

REPORT ON THE FIELD TRIP

We, the first year B.Ed students of Fatima Memorial Training College, as a part of the curriculum, arranged a field trip on 24 October 2018; to Kuthiramalika and Planetarium at Trivandrum. We started our journey at 7:30am from college by buses accompanied by our teachers. After reaching Pazhavangadi at 9:35 am, we took the entry ticket to Kuthiramalika.

Kuthiramalika is one of the architectural wonders, which is a part in the vast complex of royal building, near the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The palace was built during the 1840s which was the reigning period of Swathi Thirunal RamaVarma. It got its name from the 122 horses that are carved into the wooden wall brackets that support the southern roof. The official name of the palace is Puthenmalika. The building left unoccupied for more than a century, following the demise of Swathi Thirunal in 1845.

A portion of Kuthiramalika has been converted to a palace museum. Although there are 80 rooms, only 23 are open for visitors. The palace is opened for visitors since 1995.

As we entered the palace, a guide came and described about the palace. It is made of teakwood, rosewood, marble and granite. The roof is made of wood and 42 beams support the carved patterns. The roof is supported by granite pillars. Floral motifs dot the ceiling of the verandah. The main 16 rooms are constructed in 16 different patterns. The floor is made of eggwhite, charcoal and limestone, which make it cold and smooth even in the hot weather.

The palace collections include 14 life size Kathakali mannequins, Belgium and Italian mirrors, crystal chandeliers, paintings, a giant Belgian harpoon, armaments, musical instruments, traditional furniture, Greek status and other artifacts. There are ivory cradles of various sizes; two royal thrones, one made from 24 elephant tusks and the other of Bohemian crystal and ivory. The palace has a large collection of idols and sculptures made from white marble. On the first floor, there are rooms that once served as the audience chamber, the library, for meditation and musical compositions. This place offers a direct view of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Gopuram. There is also a secret path towards the temple. After stepping out of the palace, outside we saw a building called Thekkini. The courtyard of the palace is the venue for Swathi Sangeethotsavam; an yearly music festival commemorating Swathi Thirunal. It is conducted from 6 to 12 January every year. The palace has been visualized in many Malayalam films and serials. Puthenmalika is a perfect example of the traditional Kerala style of architecture. 

After that we went to Priyadarshini Planetarium and reached there at 11:45 am. We bought the entry pass for the noon show. Before the show, we saw some models of the planets, solar system, artificial satellites etc. The 3D show was a visual treat for us. The show ended at 12:45 pm.

After having lunch, we headed to Kovalam beach for some leisure. Then we travelled back to college and reached there at 7:25 pm and then to our home.     

THE END