The Kerala Government has announced a ₹100-crore Travancore Heritage Tourism Project (THTP) that aims to conserve the erstwhile kingdom’s palaces, mansions, and temples.
THTP will focus on retaining the old-world looks of the structures in addition to illuminating the landmarks of the city to give them greater visual appeal in the evenings.
The project covers heritage structures from Padmanabhapuram Palace, now in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, to the Parthasarathy temple on the banks of the Pampa in Aranmula of Pathanamthitta district.
The first phase will be carried out in four stages across the Thiruvananthapuram district.
Phase one will give a facelift to the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and adjoining East Fort, besides 19 majestic building complexes on either side of arterial MG Road up until Vellayambalam, spanning five kilometres.
A 14-km stretch from East Fort, which is the heart of the city, to Enjakkal northwestward will also have 21 heritage-value structures lit up.
The second phase will include the renovation of historical monuments such as the Koyikkal Palace in Attingal, the 150-year-old Anantha Vilasam mansion, the 1839-built Ranga Vilasam, and Sundara Vilasam, near Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The state secretariat will be made more attractive with a laser project and a digital system will be used to highlight the political history of the 1956-formed Kerala.
The renovation of Kilimanoor Palace has also been included in this project.
Centuries-old stone structures like Arattu Mandapam at Shanghumugham beach and the rock-cut cave at Vizhinjam have been made part of the heritage circuit.
Vintage institutional buildings in the city, like State Central Library, Ayyankali Hall (previously known as VJT Hall), University College, and Post Master General (PMG) building are also being covered under this initiative.
The circuit also features structures like Anjengo Fort, a trade settlement of East India Company down south, and the remnants of the 16th century Portuguese built St Thomas Fort at Thangassery in Kollam.
State tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said, “The Travancore Heritage Tourism Project is an attempt to highlight the hidden jewels of the erstwhile kingdom and give a boost to tourism, creating a new circuit for visitors to explore Kerala”.
