The preliminary works for Kerala Tourism’s four-phase ₹100 crore ‘Travancore Heritage’ to develop a well-curated heritage circuit by stringing together major heritage locations from Padmanabhapuram palace to the Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula to showcase the centuries-old historical evolution has commenced.
In a changing scenario in the tourism industry where the focus is on heritage and culture of the land, the proposed circuit is expected to give a fillip to tourism promotion in the capital and increase footfalls.
In the first phase, the premises of Sree Padmanabha swamy temple, East Fort, 19 buildings in the Vellayambalam to M. G. Road will be lit up with modern lighting facilities. This will be followed by the permanent illumination of the 21 building complexes from East Fort to Enchakkal. Work for the first phase has commenced already, official sources said.
In the Phase II, the restoration of Attingal Palace, Anandavilasom, Rangavilasom and Sundara Vilasam palace will be taken up and illuminated. Kilimanor Palace, the birth place of the renowned painter Raja Ravi Varma will also be renovated under the project.
Using laser projection, the iconic Secretariat will be made more visually attractive. The political history of the State will be made available in digital format. All the imposing buildings that extoll the grandeur of the capital will be illuminated and this will pave for the movement of the tourists during night, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said.
More tourists
The renovation and protection of heritage monuments and buildings under the Travancore Heritage will fetch more foreign tourists to the capital, the Minister added.
Abha Narain Lambah Associates, a leading architectural firm specializing in architectural conservation, building restoration & retrofit, museum design, historic interiors, have prepared the blue print for the project.
