On the way down from the Tadiandamol peak, the highest peak in Coorg, there's a detour that leads to a little palace called the Nalknad Palace. It was built between the years 1792 and 1794 AD. It's located in the depths of the dense jungle at the foot of Tadiandamol. This palace was the last refuge of the last of the Haleri kings of Kodagu, Chikka Veerarajendra before he was deposed by the British.
When you hear the word "palace", you would be expecting something grand, a place fit for kings and queens. But this palace looked like any other house in Coorg. It was a two-storeyed building, with many rooms within. As you enter the palace, you will be greeted with many murals and ceiling art work.
This is a picture of the ceiling carving in one of the rooms on the upper floor of the palace.
The same room had its room painted with some beautiful murals.
Here's another mural.
Another intricate ceiling carving in the queen's room.
A part of the King's room.
This little window is pretty cool! It looks out towards the main door.Apparently, this provides a straight line of sight, and the size is such that a musket can be placed in any of the holes, and can hit the heart of anyone standing at the door!
Right in front of the palace is a pavilion, constructed especially for the king’s marriage. Covered with carvings and sculptures of gods and couples, most of the carvings on the pillars have given in to time and the weather.
Here are some pictures.
This is what the entrance looks like. I couldn't get the entire picture.
So this was the end of my Coorg trip. We headed back home to Bangalore via Mysore. While in Mysore, we planned to watch the sunset in Chamundi hills. We took the road less travelled to the hills and we reached mid-way, we heard a loud burst! It was the rear tire of my friend's motorcycle and it had exploded. It was getting dark, and we were stuck on the road with very little chance of getting any help. We started checking online for repair shops nearby to replace the tire. One of my friends went searching into the city, while my riding partner and I sat there, looking after the motorcycle, in the middle of nowhere. Rain clouds were forming and it was now dark. I was so scared and he was scared for me.
A little while later my friend returned with the tire and God bless him, he was of great help, we found a mechanic, got the bike fixed and sped away from that place! It was an insane roadtrip and I don't regret a thing! Every little thing that took place on the trip was an experience of a lifetime! I will never forget that rush!!
If you got this far, thank you so much for reading!! Here's a picture of a giant grasshopper.
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