In a tourism initiative, the Kerala government has launched a Rs 100 crore Travancore Heritage Project to conserve and showcase the cultural richness and tangible legacy of the erstwhile kingdom.
State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the project would “make the visit to the state capital and its surroundings a more riveting experience”.
The project, which seeks to preserve old-world looks of the vintage structures, overall covers heritage structures from Padmanabhapuram Palace, now in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, to the Parthasarathy temple on the banks of the Pampa in Aranmula of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala.
“Kerala Tourism is making a major stride by presenting before the world the heritage and legacy of Travancore. The project is conceived in such a way that it will provide a complete experience to the visitors,” Surendran said during the inaugural function on Tuesday.
He said the tourism sector in the state has been passing through its severest crisis for the last three years, but the government made its best efforts to turn adversities into opportunities.
“In 2018-19 the state recorded its highest revenue from tourism. The newly launched projects are expected to make the tourism sector more productive and attractive,” Surendran said.
Minister for Ports, Archives and Archaeology, Ramachandran Kadannappally expressed his appreciation for bringing the Archaeology and Museum Department also within the ambit of the heritage project.
The Travancore Heritage Project seeks to preserve old- world looks of the vintage structures. The first phase involves illuminating 30 heritage structures of the city to give them a greater visual appeal in the evenings.
In the next stage, another 20 structures will be illuminated, and each heritage building would be maintained like a museum, a release said.