Mattancherry Palace, which is fondly known as the Dutch Palace, is a landmark monument in Kochi. Simple and plain from exterior, this palace features rooms with intrinsically carved ceilings and murals. Originally, the church was built by Portuguese in 1557, however was passed to the Dutch, when they captured Kochi during the pre-British period. Portuguese, the original founders of the palace, gifted the palace to the Raja Veera Kerala Varma. This gift was basically a compensation for a temple, which was destroyed by the Portuguese. Architecturally, the palace has remained unchanged since its construction. The palace is a two-storied quadrangular building, which is made up of stark white walls, sloping roofs and trees around it. This palace also houses a temple in the central courtyard that is enshrined with the deity of Palayannur Bhagwati. On the either side of the courtyard, there are smaller shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. Formerly, the central hall on the upper storey of the palace was used as a venue for conducting the crowning ceremony of Rajas of Kochi. The major highlights of this Mattancherry Palace are the murals on the walls of the rooms of palace. These murals depict the scenes from Hindu mythological epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. This palace also features a gallery, which holds exhibit of royal memorabilia like attires, turbans and weapons that belong to Rajas of Kochi.