Why is the Mattancherry Palace called the Dutch Palace?

Mattancherry Palace is a historic landmark located in Kochi, Kerala, India, that features traditional Kerala murals and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. Despite being widely known as the Dutch Palace, it was actually built by the Portuguese Empire as a gift to the Kingdom of Cochin. The palace also stands adjacent to the historic Paradesi Synagogue, sharing a common wall with its temple.

What we know

• Mattancherry Palace is popularly known as the Dutch Palace, though it was built by the Portuguese Empire as a gift to the Kingdom of Cochin. [1, 2, 3]
• The palace features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. [2]
• The palace was included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. [2]
• The Mattancherry Palace temple shares a common wall with the nearby Paradesi Synagogue. [4]

Where to go next

• compared withWhat is the history of the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi?
• how we knowHow does the Kochi Water Metro connect to Mattancherry?
• what caused itWhat role did the Portuguese play in the history of Cochin?
• a case in pointWhere is the Dharmanath Jain temple located in Kerala?
• the bigger pictureWhat heritage sites exist in the Ernakulam district of Kerala?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a modern water transport terminal connect to a 16th-century royal palace?The Mattancherry Water Metro station, inaugurated recently in 2025, sits built entirely on water right next to the 16th-century Portuguese-built heritage palace.

Sources

• [1]Mattancherry Palace (Wikidata Q1267941) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Mattancherry Palace · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Mattancherry Water Metro Station · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Paradesi Synagogue · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Kochi Jain temple · CC BY-SA 4.0