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Mr. A.P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala inaugurated a Rs. 30.5 million renovation and beautification project of the century-old Kanakakkunnu Palace, an erstwhile durbar and banquet hall of the Travancore royal family and one of the key landmarks of the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram.
“The project is aimed at recapturing the glory, legacy and beauty of the palace,” said the minister. “The work will be eco-friendly and will not tamper with the monument’s traditional architectural styles”.
The Nishagandhi auditorium, in the Kanakakkunnu palace premises, which hosts a variety of cultural programmes, including movie screenings, will also be renovated simultaneously. The renovation work is being entrusted to the Kerala Land Development Corporation (KLDC).
The project comprises renovating the Kanakakkunnu garden, setting up lights, constructing lawns to showcase its natural beauty, planting trees, widening the parking area, constructing the age-old stone steps (kalpadavukkal) from the entrance to the palace, royal gates and putting up new direction boards. The project also includes widening of the walkway around the palace for the public.
Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, Secretary, Kerala Tourism handed over the master plan of the project to Mr. A.P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.