TRIPUNITHURA: A few years ago, nearly 21 ancient structures in Tripunithura were declared protected monuments by the Archaeology Department. The list includes some palaces, the Oottupura Malika, the western gateway of Sree Poornathrayeesha temple, an ancient structure at Nadamel St Mary’s church and the Puthen bungalow, which was already in a bad state after it was attached to the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts.
Soon after declaring the 21 structures as “protected monuments,” the Archaeology Department conducted a get-together of the members of the Kochi royal family at Kalikotta Palace to discuss the renovation of the palaces. The members who realised the vested interest of the department in ‘protecting’ the monuments of Puthen bungalow opposed the move. Soon the department excluded
palaces from the list.
Four years after the official declaration of the monuments being “protected,” nothing has been done for preserving the ancient structures like Oottupura Malika, which is in the possession of some Government departments. It is an attractive building with a spacious nadumuttam (central courtyard) and a two-storeyed structure with spacious rooms. “Its typical Kerala architecture is a huge attraction and I tried to get it converted into an art gallery of the Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi,” said T A Sathyapal, secretary of the Akademi. But the Oottupura Malika is trapped in a legal battle between various departments regarding its ownership. “So the Akademi is yet to make use of this beautiful structure,” Sathyapal said.
P K Gopi, former curator of the Hill Palace museum, also visited the structure and tried his best to bring its sad state to the notice of the Archaeology Department. Then, too, the tussle between some departments prevented the move to protect the
building.
Tripunithura is a municipality which is desperately in need of a performing theatre for more than half a dozen cultural organisations to stage their monthly programmes. If the authorities concerned take a decision to make use of the spacious Oottupura Malika as a stage to present programmes, its central courtyard can be used as an indoor performing centre and the small cabins around the courtyard can be used as an art
gallery to hold exhibitions.
The western gateway of Sree Poornathrayeesha temple is yet another architectural wonder. The structure itself is moulded with a unique mix of lime, jaggery and other building material. The first floor has six wooden pillars with carvings of Lord Ganesha and other Gods. “The year in which this beautiful structure was built is yet to be traced,” said Raman Namboothiri, a retired Archaeological Survey of India official. Namboothiri said that during his days in office, he tried to get it include it in the protected monuments list. A timely intervention of the related departments will certainly give a new lease of life to this gopuram.
“We expected some steps to be taken by the Archaeology Department to preserve the Oottupura Malika and other structures,” said Murali, a native of Tripunithura, who shares a nostalgic bond with these structures.