Tirumalai Nayak Mahal was built in the year 1636 CE by the great Nayak ruler of Madurai, Tirumalai Nayak (1627-1659 CE). This palace is considered the most marvellous secular building of Tamilnadu. It is believed that this has been constructed with the help of an Italian architect. The present building is the main palace building where the king lived, and it was four times bigger than what it is today. In those days the palace consisted mainly of two parts, Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa. Besides these two royal residences, there were a theatre, a palace shrine, queen's apartment, an armoury, a building for housing palanquins and royal bandstand, quarters for relatives and servants, a pond, and gardens etc., The whole complex is enclosed by walls on all the four sides. The site museum was established in the year 1980.

Antiquities on Display

A square copper coin with symbol of a fish on one side, semi-precious stone beads, shell bangle pieces, inscribed pot sherds found in the excavated trench at Kovalanpottal, Sapthamatrika sculptural panels, terracotta figurines from Kondagai.