Before we leave Madurai and explore another set of temples, I thought I will highlight this historical building. Called the Thamukkam Palace, it was built in 1670 in the early Indo-Saracenic style as a palace for the Nayakkan royal family. The powerful and able Nayakan queen Rani Mangammal, lived here whenever she was in Madurai. It served as the British administrative headquarters during colonial times. Today, it houses the Gandhi Memorial Museum which is a nice exhibit of the Mahatma's life. Wonder how many people know that the young and dapper lawyer returning from South Africa shed his Western clothes for the Khadhar garment that he wore afterwards, right here in Madurai. The museum houses a part of the blood-stained garment that he wore on the day of his death. Admission is free.
Visited August 2019.
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