THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major set back to development plans, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation rejected a proposal by the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple to set up a multi-level parking facility on the corporation’s parking ground near the Transport Bhavan. A former managing director of the corporation had accepted the proposal but it was rejected by his predecessor later. The temple management said it was unaware of the reasons behind the corporation’s change of mind.The proposed multi-level parking would have accommodated 45 KSRTC buses and 150 cars. Rights to collect parking fees was for the KSRTC.
Temple executive officer V Ratheesan said the funds meant for the parking facility will be spent for setting up some other facility for the devotees. Options being considered include renovation of some heritage buildings where accommodation facilities can be arranged for devotees. Utsavamadom and Panchajanyam hall are being considered for this. Another plan is to set up a sales emporium.
Pond renovation underway
The current phase of the renovation of the Padmatheertham pond will be completed before the monsoon rains, according to the Kerala State Nirmiti Kendra, the implementing agency.Two mandapams on the north side of the pond are being reconstructed. Stone steps which were lying dilapidated are being restored. Steps of a length of 80m need to be restored.KSNK chief engineer Jayan Raveendran attributed the slow pace to the complex work involved.
“Being a heritage structure, special care is taken to restore them in the traditional way. No concrete is used and surki, a mixture of limestone and jaggery, is used instead,” he said.The granite blocks needed for replacing damaged stones have been brought from Myladi in Tamil Nadu. S Hemachandran, former director of the archaeology department is supervising the work. The KSNK has also been asked to reconstruct the dilapidated portion of the Thantrimadom adjacent to the pond. About 1,000 sq feet of the building in two-levels needs to be reconstructed. “An expert team from the Archeology department of the College of Engineering Trivandrum has collected samples for a soil test. The work will begin after getting the report,” said Jayan.