A real blend of Mughal architecture & traditional Kerala style, it was built in 1800s
Palakkal Bungalow or judge's bungalow which houses the district panchayat office on civil station premises. (Photo: DC )
KOZHIKODE: Once upon a time the local people were awed by the building and referred to it as Palakkal Bungalow. It then belonged to a Muslim family and now houses the district panchayat office complex. A real blend of Mughal architecture and traditional Kerala style, the building was constructed sometime in the 1800s.
The polygonal-shaped two storeyed building reminds one of an old mosque and is elevated at the centre. With half a dozen vast rooms with tiled roofs, wooden ceiling, tall wooden pillars and wooden doors, the palatial building still has vestiges of its past glory.
The house of Cheriyathoppilakathu Mamukkoya and brothers, the house was rented out to the British government by the family and became the residence of the Malabar judge. “In 1909, Malabar collector RB Wood decided to buy the building as it was improper for the judge to reside in a private house”, said TB Seluraj, an authority on the history of Kozhikode. “Going by the documents, the price of the bungalow was fixed at Rs 22,000 but later the land was acquired as there were several cases related to the land”, says Seluraj.
The first British judge who resided in the building was LG Moor. Till the construction of the Civil Station in the 1980s, the building was known as Judge’s bungalow and the area was known as Thoppil estate and the bus stop was known as ‘Judge’s bungalow bus stop’.
“The rooms are vast and ensure sufficient air circulation. Without much alteration, the engineers managed to convert the building into one with modern facilities without causing any damage to the architectural grace of the building”, said Jalaja Rani, district panchayat executive engineer.
When the civil station was constructed, initially there was a plan to demolish the building but the protest from historians and architects checkmated the move and the building was retained as a reminder of past architectural glory.
( Source : dc )
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