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Ancient Palace Faces Tourist Overload
15 Sep
Summary
- Padmanabhapuram Palace, Asia's largest wooden palace, struggles with tourism.
- Restoration efforts costing crores are ongoing for the heritage structure.
- Cross-border jurisdiction issues hinder comprehensive upkeep of surrounding areas.
The Padmanabhapuram Palace, a magnificent 17th-century wooden structure and one of Asia's largest, is struggling to cope with the influx of over six lakh annual visitors. This heritage monument, maintained by the Kerala archaeology department, sees more than a thousand visitors daily during peak seasons, placing immense pressure on the Travancore-era building.
To preserve the palace, which was constructed using local materials like lime mortar and a unique herbal floor mixture, restoration work costing 2.3 crore has been undertaken over the past two years. The department is now exploring an online ticketing system and a slot-based approach to manage footfalls and reduce damage. Over the last decade, the department has invested approximately 1 crore annually in conservation and security measures.
Restoration phases for key structures like the homappura and ongoing work on Puthen Kottaram and Thekkae Kottaram are progressing. However, the palace's bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site status faced hurdles due to zoning regulations. A significant challenge arises from the fact that only the 6.5-acre palace grounds are under Kerala's jurisdiction, while the surrounding commercial establishments and the dilapidated Kalkulam fort fall under Tamil Nadu's purview, complicating unified heritage management.
