KERALA TOURISM NEWSLETTER
Two tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram to get a facelift
The Napier Museum and Akkulam Tourist Village in Kerala's capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, will undergo modernisation.
The 131-year-old Napier Museum situated in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city will be modernised in a contemporary manner. An Indo-Saracenic styled architectural marvel, the museum is unique for its ornamentation, gothic roof, minarets and stained glass windows. The museum houses priceless historical artifacts, mainly stone, metal and ivory sculptures dating from the 7
th century.
As part of renovation the artifacts housed in the museum will be displayed on stone pedestals cocooned inside impact-resistant glass. Modern interactive technologies like touch screen kiosks, illuminated narrative boards and digitally recorded audio will be used to guide the visitors in the museum.
To protect the treasures kept in the museum, a state-of-the-art security system will be installed. The security system will have night vision enabled video surveillance cameras, infra-red perimeter fencing, motion detectors, burglar and fire alarms and a dedicated security control room linked to the city police control room.
The sword of Velu Thampi Dalawa, Diwan (administrative head) of erstwhile Travancore, along with artifacts of the period will be displayed in a separate gallery. Separate galleries will be provided for artifacts made of stone, metal, ivory, and wood. The ivory gallery would alone have 112 displays.
A new stone fence will mark the museum's perimeter and its surroundings will be landscaped. The landmark structure will itself be illuminated with LED floodlights so that its architectural splendour is revealed in full glory at night.
Akkulam Tourist Village near Thiruvananthapuram city will be renovated to attract domestic tourists. The musical fountain, swimming pool and the children's park will be beautified. Restaurants and toilets will be modernized and more equipment will be added to the health club as part of the proposed developmental activities at Akkulam.
