TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The otherwise patchy lawns on the Padmanabhapuram Palace premises no longer looks dried out. The gardens are lush, filled with flowering plants and the wooden structures gleam, anticipating hordes of visitors. The Padmanabhapuram Palace at Thucklay in Kanyakumari has had a makeover, thanks to the efforts of Department of Archaeology.
Renovation works costing more than Rs 2 crores have been carried out in the Padmanabhapuram Palace by the authorities and this includes plans to make it more accessible and tourist-friendly. And, the prominent among this is making it friendly for disabled people. Besides the introduction of wheelchair accessibility, a virtual touring facility has also been installed so that the disabled can now explore the palace. An official website of the Palace was also inaugurated a few days back.
To control the flow of tourists, the management is now considering plans to introduce online registration and e-ticketing facilities. If implemented, the visitors won’t anymore have to wait in long queues at the ticket counter. Besides the external beautification, reinforcement treatment has also been done to prolong the life of the wooden structures, that are over 400 years old.
The Palace
The Palace, though located in Kanyakumari, is administered by the Government of Kerala. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of Venad, followed by the kingdom of Travancore, before the capital was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. The highlight of the Palace is its intricate carpentry work that reflects a fusion of architectural styles ranging from the Vijayanagara stone-carvings to colonial style inspired by the British.