The state of Kerela has been ruled by number of kingdoms. Apart from the natural beauty of Kerela, there are number of historical churches, temples, mosques, palaces, forts, castles etc. found here that make it more attractive to the tourists from all over the world. The state has an exceptional historical as well as cultural background that reflects the grandeur of the long gone period of various rulers. The monuments of Kerela take the visitors back to the splendid era of the royalty. All the forts and monuments of Kerela are very enchanting for the delight of the photographers. This place is majorly covered with various destinations that prove to be very welcoming for those who value historical assets.

There are many archeological sites in Kerela apart from that the forts and palaces like the Bakel Fort, Palghat Fort, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, Pallippuram Fort, St. Angelo Fort etc. are great evidence of the civilizations that existed erstwhile. The composite culture of Kerela has fusion of three major religions viz Hinduism, Christanity and Islam. Hence it has a treasure of religious monuments too. Aranmula Temple is one of the famous temples of Kerela. Guruvayoor Temple, Chottanikkara Temple, Vadakkumnathan Temple and Sabarimala Temple are the other major temples found here which are visited by the devotees from all over the country. Cheraman Juma Masjid is another famous religious monument located in Kerela.  Various churches like Muttuchira church, St. Sebastian Church, the Jewish Synagogue etc. adds to the religious diversity of the state.

The architecture of Kerela is embellished by various stupendousBunglows and mansions. Vasco House is a marvelous memorial found here. The other symbols of art and history of Kerela include Pierce Leslie Bungalow,Thakur House, Koder House,Bastion's Bungalow, Bishop's House, Gundert Bungalow, Chittur Garumadam, Mannadi etc.

Kerala Monuments

During colonial period, Many traders from Europe and various other places used Kerela as commercial center. Hence there are number of ports and harbors in Kerela. The historical monuments of Kerela also show the influence of various cultures. The architecture of the state shows amalgamation of various styles. The conventional style of Kerela architecture is known as Nalukettubut various monuments show impact of Chinese, European, Arabic and Jewish styles. Kochi Fortis one of the examples of fused style of Kerela Architecture. The Krishnapuram the Mattancherry Palace, Palace, Jewish Synagogue, the Hill Palace and the Kaudiar Palace are the few most alleged monuments, forts and Palaces in Kerela.

On the banks of Sonakshi river, the memorial of the 'Adhyatma Ramayana’s author Thunchath Ezhuthachan is built. It is known as Chittur Garumadam. Here many manuscripts along with his slippers, Srichakra and idols that he used to worship are found.

The Bastion Bungalow which dates back to the seventeenth century has a state of art wooden verandah at the first floor and the tiled roof showing the typical Dutch architectural style. It is located in the Stromberg Bastion of the Old Dutch fort. The other majestic Palace constructed by the Dutch in 1744 is the Blghatty Palace. It had been also used as British of Kochi’s residence later. The main attraction at the Neyyer dam is the Lion Safari and Asia’s First Arch Dam, the Idukki arch dam is also located here. It is the second arch Dam in the world having a height of 550 feet and width of 650 feet.

Another majestic monument in Kerela is the Nineteenth Centuary Hill Palace which was the Official residence of the Royal Family of Kochi. It has around forty nine buildings which are built in the conventional architectural design of Kerela. The main attraction here is the first Heritage Museum of Kerela.

Koyikkal Palace

This Palace is located at a distance of eighteen kilometers from Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerela. It is a fifteenth century palace and was used as the official residence of the Perakom Thavazhi, the materal ancestry. Erstwhile the palace belonged to the queen of the Venad Royal family, Umayamma rani who ruled the region from year 1677 to 1684. The department of Archaeology has setup two museums here, The Folklore Museum and the Numismatics museum.  The former one was established in the year 1922, housing the folk arts, musical instruments, other household and occupational items belonging to the native origin. The Numismatics Museum has a unique collection of valuable coins from all over the world that indicates the trade relations of the state with different parts of the world since historical times.

Jewish Synagogue

In the year 1568, Jewsih Synagogue church was built in Mattancherry which is the oldest Synagogue among all the common wealth countries.  There are scrolls belonging to the Old Testament placed here. Apart from that various copper plates having the records of the donations bestowed by the Kochi rulers are also housed here.  The building was somewhat destroyed during the war in the year1662 but Dutch reconstructed it. The glorified building has hand painted blue Chinese tiles that are around two hundred years old. The Unique feature of these tiles is that not a single tile is similar to the other one.

The other attraction here is the 18th century clock tower which has many gold and silver crowned presented by different donors.

Kaudiar Palace

It is the residence of Maharaja Sree Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma and his family. This palace is located at Thiruvananthapuram and is not approachable to the tourists. In order to get the closer look of this glorified royal building special permission is required.

Mattancherry Palace

This Palace was built by the Portuguese in the year 1557 in lieu of the temple damaged by them accidently. As an apology they presented this palace to the Maharaja of KochiRaja Veera Kerala Varma). Bhagwati temple is located in the central courtyard of the Palace. Later the palace was renovated by the Dutch in the year 1663 and hence it is also knwn as the Dutch palace. It is located at a distance of around ten kilometers from Ernakulam. The Palace is a unique example of austerity and stateliness since centuries.