KOCHI: 'Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) will set up a permanent art centre 'Kaleidoscope' at the new cruise terminal in Cochin Port to introduce and attract cruise tourists arriving in Kochi to the state's art forms.
The state Tourism Department had recently sanctioned the funds for setting up the centre to the DTPC.
“Discussions with the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) are over. It will execute the project. A fund of Rs 1.65 crore has been sanctioned for the project. The construction will commence soon and the centre will open before the construction of the cruise terminal at CPT is completed,” said S Vijay Kumar, DTPC secretary.
At present, a mini-theatre has been set up at Sagarika where kathakali, kalaripayattu, tholpavakoothu and mohiniyattam were performed for tourists who had arrived in the cruise MS Boudicca.
DTPC-authorised service provider Greenix Village set up the mini-theatre. “The temporary mini-theatre will be maintained till the end of the cruise season. Tourists arriving in all cruise vessels will have the opportunity to witness the traditional art forms of the state,” Kumar said.
A mobile tourism interpretation centre and an auto-taxi booking centre have also been arranged at CPT for cruise tourists. MS Boudicca departed from CPT on Monday evening.