KOCHI: Heritage sites are meant to be conserved for posterity. However, many times under the guise of renovation and repair, these get looted of the very things that give them the tag. Something along those lines is allegedly happening with Mattanchery’s Ariyittuvazhicha Kovilakam. Those associated with the tourism industry blame the lack of coordination between various departments for the situation.
A visit to the palace of the maharajas of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin presents a sad sight. “The trees that used to stand proudly on the property have been axed,” a homestay owner said on the condition of anonymity. He said some people came in with mechanised saws and started felling the trees surrounding the pond on the property on Thursday.
“When local residents came to know about it, they protested the action. The workers left after BJP activists arrived on the scene and prevented them from proceeding further. Youth Congress activists too protested the incident,” he said.
M P Sivadathan, state president of Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (K-HATS) said, “The kovilakam has historical importance Each and everything on the property is mired in history. The trees that stood clumped together gave the appearance of a sacred grove. These trees are also very old.”
Explaining the importance of the kovilakam, Sivadathan said, “This building was used to perform the Ariyittuvazhicha ceremony by maharajas of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin. It is the coronation ceremony of the Cochin maharaja. The ceremony began with a procession from the Dutch Palace to the kovilakam. The maharaja would bathe in the pond, following which he would enter the locked room and sit on the cot with an umbrella made of palm leaves. The priests then chanted Vedic mantras and rice was showered on the king as a blessing.”
After the coronation, the maharaja would go to the Palliyarakadavu temple, across from the Dutch Palace, he added. “But authorities who draw up renovation projects seem to have no idea as to the historical importance. This is because multiple departments are involved and they don’t have any proper channel of communication,” said Sivadathan.
Many a heritage monument and site have fallen prey to this lack of communication and information, he added. Whenever a renovation project is drawn up, it is of utmost importance to involve people who know about the monument or site, he said.
“Plans need to be drawn up after discussions with experts and also all the associated departments. Only then will we be able to protect our heritage monuments and, sadly, this is something that is not happening,” said Sivadathan.
Meanwhile, MLA K J Maxi said, “I came to know of the incident very late and I happen to be in Thiruvananthapuram. I will be calling a meeting of the authorities concerned. The kovilakam is being renovated and the felling of the trees might have been a part of the project. The aim is to enable tourists to enter the site and visit the monument.”