Madurai’s jewel, Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, shines again after restoration

Chennai: Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, one of the magnificent surviving palaces in South India built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, in the ancient city of Madurai is undergoing a massive makeover as part of the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to preserve heritage structures.

Built in 1936 AD by King Thirumala Nayakkar, who ruled Madurai which was once the territory of the famed Pandiya Kingdom, included ariyani mandapam, andhapuram, theater hall, school room, pooja room, padakalan, vasanthavavi, and malarvanam.

The conservation and restoration works are being carried out at the cost of 16.92 crores as part of the project to refurbish Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, Thanjavur Maratha Palace, and Tharangambadi Danish Fort.

While the reconstruction, protection and maintenance works of the theatre, and school hall costs Rs 3 crore, a barbed wire fence and a grassy area have been developed on the west side at Rs 61 lakh.

“To preserve the antiquity of the palace, identical stones are being installed at Rs 3.73 crore in all areas. Traditional lanterns are being installed to illuminate and beautify the interior and exterior of the Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace during the day as well as at night,” Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Finance and Archaeology, said.

He said the refurbishing of the palace, which is an integral part of Madurai’s rich cultural heritage which includes the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple, is aimed at making the structure a world-class historical monument.

“The government headed by Chief Minister M K Stalin believes that it is our prime duty to preserve and showcase heritage symbols to the future generations in such a way that they remain unchanged,” Thennarasu added.

The restoration work comes close on the heels of Keeladi, a Sangam-era archaeological site located 12 km south-east of Madurai, emerging as a major tourist attraction after a world-class museum displaying artefacts unearthed during excavations at the site since 2014 was inaugurated in 2023.

“Heritage is our right and restoring it is the prime duty of Tamils. This is the goal that the state government is working towards,” the minister added.

In a social media post, Stalin said the refurbished palace and Keeladi would become places with the highest tourist footfalls in Madurai and expressed the hope that the archaeology department would fast-track the work on the Porunai Museum in Tirunelveli.

King Sokkanatha Nayakkar, the grandson of the Thirumalai Nayakkar, shifted the capital city from Madurai to Tiruchirappalli after demolishing a part of the palace. Only one-quarter of the palace, which was declared a protected monument by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA), remains, now.