Phase-I of Travancore Heritage Tourism Project to focus on Kerala capital

Showcasing the culturalrichness of erstwhile Travancore kingdom that now lies in thesouthern part of the state, the Kerala government is set tobegin a Rs 100-crore Travancore Heritage Tourism Project(THTP) which envisages conservation of the regions palaces,mansions and temples.

The project will ensure that the old-world looks of thestructures will be retained, besides illuminating citylandmarks to give them greater visual appeal in the evenings.

THTP, overall, covers heritage structures fromPadmanabhapuram Palace, now in Kanyakumari district of TamilNadu, to the Parthasarathy temple on the banks of the Pampain Aranmula of Pathanamthitta district.

The first phase will be carried out in four stagesacross Thiruvananthapuram district, giving fillip to thetourism development.

The project has been drafted by Mumbai-basedarchitectural firm AbhaNarainLambah Associates, which is intoconservation of several historical sites across India.

''The Travancore Heritage Tourism Project is anattempt to highlight the hidden jewels of the erstwhilekingdom and give a boost to tourism, creating a new circuitfor visitors to explore Kerala,'' State Tourism Minister,Kadakampally Surendran said.

The first phase will give a facelift to the famedSree Padmanabhaswamy temple and adjoining East Fort, besides19 majestic building complexes on either side of arterial MGRoad up till Vellayambalam, spanning five km.

These structures will be illuminated by employingstate-of-the-art techniques.

Simultaneously, a 14-km stretch from East Fort,which is in the heart of the city, to Enjakkal northwestwardwill have 21 heritage-value structures lit up aesthetically.

The work on both the roads is progressing well,authorities said.

The second phase will carry out renovation ofhistorical monuments such as the dilapidated Koyikkal Palacein Attingal which is 30 km north of the state capital,150-year-old AnanthaVilasam mansion, the 1839-built Ranga Vilasamand SundaraVilasam, also near Padmanabhaswamy temple.

At the centre of the project is Sree Padmanabhaswamytemple, with the remnants of its fort wall, streets withhistorically and architecturally important structures,shopping streets, the temple pond and the living streets.

As part of the project, the state secretariat willbe made more attractive with laser project.

Using digital system, it will throw light on thepolitical history of the 1956-formed Kerala.THTP has alsocharted the renovation of the Kilimanoor Palace that gavebirth to world-famous artist Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906).

Centuries-old stone structures like ArattuMandapam at Shanghumugham beach and the rock-cut cave atVizhinjam have been made part of the heritage circuit.

The project also has brought in its ambit vintageinstitutional buildings in the city, most of which are stillfunctional, like the State Central Library, Ayyankali Hall(previously known as VJT Hall), University College and PostMaster General (PMG) building.

Apart from the monuments associated with theroyal period, the circuit includes structures like AnjengoFort, a trade settlement of East India Company in down southand the remnants of the 16th century Portuguese built StThomas Fort at Thangassery in Kollam.

By conserving and renovating the heritage monumentsof the Travancore belt, THTP seeks to bring in more touristsfrom abroad,authorities added.

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