THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Until a few years ago, the ‘Vettimuricha kotta’ had lots of tales to tell. Like how the fort came up surrounding the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple some 110-odd years ago, how it was once cut open by a ruler, giving it its present name, and how it had proudly stood as a monument guarding the heritage and royalty of a bygone era.
Not anymore. Now it speaks only of neglect, how official apathy has shaken its pillars and seen its grandeur crumble to earth. In a matter of time, it might even come down to pieces, making a mockery of the heritage zone it is included in.
The East Fort Poura Samithi has come up raising protest against the neglect shown to the fort, that is only a few yards away from some of the important landmarks of the city like Putharikandom Maidan, Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple and Gandhi Park. Even the ‘Padinjare kotta’ (West Fort) and ‘Kizhakke Kotta’ (East Fort) are faring better. The Poura Samithi has put up a board adjacent to the Vettimuricha kotta which in bold letters requests the officials to save the grand structure.
The villains are the containers and heavy vehicles who make a turn near the Vettimuricha kotta to the West Fort area. These containers mostly come from the Karamana side and enter the fort during night hours. Many a times, these heavy vehicles scratch the sides of the fort wall. Though a concrete wall was built around the turning to the Vettimuricha kotta, the heavy vehicles had brought it down too.
‘’The last time any maintenance was done to it was almost three years ago. A concrete raising was built around the wall, but when it came down, the officials did nothing. Local people removed the remains from the roadside. We have been asking the Archeological Department to do something about it, but to no good,’’ said T K S Rajan, Poura Samithi leader.
The local people here have been asking the Department to either come up with alternative methods to save the fort wall or to introduce traffic regulations barring heavy vehicles from entering the Vettimuricha kotta.
When contacted, State Archeology Department Director K K Mohanan Pillai said that a comprehensive restoration project is being planned for the Vettimuricha kotta. ‘’It is mostly the damage done by heavy vehicles. We are taking steps to restore it,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Poura Samithi has also accused the Department of not doing maintenance of the huge dynamic light that was installed at East Fort. It had shut eyes long back, but the officials have been saying that the parts of the light are only available in Italy and delaying its maintenance, local people said.
If this is the plight of heritage structures in a heritage zone which ought to be protected, it would only be a matter of time before the city’s royal past will fade into oblivion leaving behind no structures to be proud of.
trivandrum@expressbuzz.com
