More than a century old, Cheena Kottaram was built in the year 1904 for Sri Mulam Tirunal Rama Varma, the then king of Travancore. The palace of Cheena Kottaram was constructed during the same time when the first passenger train began its run on the Kollam - Sengottai railway line at Kollam railway station.
Etymology of Cheena Kottaram
The palace is also known as the China Palace and the citizens of Kollam or the Kollamites used to call this rest house as Cheena Kottaram because of its resemblances to the ancient Chinese buildings.
History of Cheena Kottaram
Before the pre - Independence era, the city of Kollam in the state of Kerala had numerous numbers of palaces and was thus known as the Palace City. The city used to be the commercial capital of Travancore and produced maximum business with high level of export - import operations through the flourishing Kollam Port. With only one airport and a lack of proper rail and air connectivity to Thiruvanathapuram, the kings of Travancore used to travel from Kollam. Thus, they had built the palace of Cheena Kottaram as a rest house close to the Kollam Junction railway station.
Architecture of Cheena Kottaram
The architectural marvel at Kollam, Cheena Kottaram is a single storied red-brick building with 7 rooms. It was built with the Indo - Saracenic architecture, which is generally a blend of Indian, European, Islamic and Moorish type of architecture. The palace is yet to receive the National Heritage Monument accreditation.
Visiting Information on Cheena Kottaram
With a close proximity to the Kollam railway station, the Cheena Kottaram is situated at a distance of about 950 m from the railway station. The closest airport is the Trivandrum International Airport is at a distance of about 68 km from the palace.
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