Saktan Thampuran, who ended the power of Cochin's feudal chieftains, is remembered as the architect of Thrissur town

Background

The Thrissur District Administration records that Kodungalloor had the distinction of being the Primum Emporium India and the honour of having first given shelter to the Christians, the Jews and the Muslims.
The district's early history is the history of the Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram, and from the twelfth century onwards it is the history of the rise and growth of the Perumpadappu Swarupam.
The Perumpadappu Moopil is referred to as the Kerala Chakravarthi in the Sivavilasam and some other works.
One of the landmarks in the history of the Perumpadappu Swarupam is the foundation of a new era called the Pudu Vaipu Era, traditionally believed to have commenced from the date on which the island of Vypeen was thrown from the sea.
In 1790 Raja Rama Varma, popularly known as Saktan Tampuran, ascended the throne of Cochin and reigned until 1805, although he had been at the helm of affairs since 1769.
Saktan Tampuran was mainly responsible for the destruction of the power of the feudal chieftains and the increase of royal power, and he put an end to the institution of the Yogiatirippad.
The Shakthan Thampuran Palace, also named Vadakkekara Palace, was reconstructed in Kerala-Dutch style in 1795 by Ramavarma Thampuran and is preserved by the Archaeological Department.
The palace has a two-storeyed main structure with a traditional Kerala style Nalukettu, and it was converted into a museum in 2005 by the State.