Kuthira Malika (Mansion of Horses) is a royal residence worked by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma on the south-eastern side of Padmanabhaswamy sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram. The castle gets its name from the 122 stallions that are cut into the wooden divider sections that help the southern rooftop. The official name of the royal residence is Puthen Malika (New Mansion).
The royal residence shapes some portion of an immense complex of regal structures in the region of Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The building was left empty for over a century, following the downfall of Swathi Thirunal in 1846. Worked in the 1840s, Kuthira Malika is a case of customary Kerala design, with its normal slanting rooftops, overhanging roof, pillared verandahs and encased yards. Complicated carvings decorate the wooden roofs, with each room having a particular example. The development of the royal residence was finished by 5000 Vishwabrahmins (വിശ്വകർമ്മജർ) in four years.
The castle is produced using teakwood, rosewood, marble, and rock. The top of the royal residence is made of wood and 42 pillars bolster the cut examples. The rooftop is bolstered by rock columns. Botanical themes dab the roof of the verandah. The fundamental 16 rooms of the royal residence are built in 16 unique examples. Taking all things together, the royal residence contains 80 rooms, of which 20 were opened for guests in 1995. The floor inside the royal residence is made of egg whites, charcoal, and limestone, which make it chilly and smooth even in hot climate conditions. The show scene worked in the royal residence premises utilizes customary sound reflectors containing fifty earth pots hung topsy turvy from the roof. A segment of Kuthira Malika has been changed over to a Palace Museum that houses a portion of the advantages claimed by the Travancore Royal Family.
In spite of the fact that 80 rooms are there in the royal residence, just 20 are open for guests. A guided visit is accessible inside the royal residence. The royal residence accumulations incorporate 14 life-measure Kathakali mannequins, Belgian and Italian mirrors, precious stone light fixtures, artworks, a goliath Belgian spear, deadly implements, melodic instruments, conventional furniture, greek statues, a melodic tree which produces 8 sounds on tapping, and different antiquities. On the correct side of the mannequins are the ivory supports of different sizes.
The royal residence has in plain view two illustrious honored positions, one produced using 24 elephant tusks (Dantasimhasana) and the other of Bohemian precious stone with the Tranvancore image "conch" embellishing the highest point of the backrest. The royal residence has a huge gathering of symbols and figures produced using white marble. On the principal floor are rooms that once filled in as the gathering of people chamber, the library and a nook that Swathi Thirunal utilized for thinking and for considering a large number of his celebrated melodic organizations.
This place offers an immediate perspective of the Padmanabhaswamy sanctuary gopuram. The little wooden stair there contains carvings of peacock, elephant, and mythical beast. Roof of the rooms contain works of art of parrot, peacock, and elephant. One of the rooms shows a dream representation of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, painted by Svetoslav Roerich. The face and the shoes of the lord show up confronting the spectator from each side of the room. The Kuthira Malika royal residence has been pictured in numerous Malayalam movies.