The Hindu : Century-old South Palace languishing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Century-old South Palace languishing

By T. Nandakumar

NEGLECTED MONUMENT: A view of the South Palace from the stone mandapam at Shanghumukhom. - Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 1. From the heights of glory to the dumps of neglect, the passage of time has dealt a deathblow to the majestic century-old South Palace at Sanghumukhom fronting the beach. Ever since it was retrieved from a lessee in 1997 after a protracted legal battle, the City Corporation has been toying with one project after another to restore the ravaged structure.

After the Corporation took possession, it drew up a plan to set up a zonal office in the building to coordinate the activities of the local body in the coastal wards. In 1999, the Corporation budget proposed a project to convert the palace into a tourist-cum-commercial centre.

The next year, the project was revised to include a history museum and a children's palace and the allocation enhanced to Rs.1 crore. The museum was supposed to provide a glimpse into the lives of the rulers of the erstwhile Travancore state as well as that of prominent Malayalis who have excelled in various fields.

With both projects failing to take off, the Corporation again decided to restore the building and maintain it as a heritage structure. This year's budget has earmarked Rs.10 lakhs to convert the structure into a guesthouse as part of the beach beautification project but civic officials are still in the dark about the details of the project.

The residence of the Senior Regent of Travancore, the South Palace (Thekkekottaram) was constructed in the colonial style with nalukettu, courtyard and exquisite woodcarvings. The building was given on lease to a private party who ran a bar hotel for many years. The Corporation reclaimed the building in 1997 after a protracted legal battle which reached the Supreme Court. During the lease period, a number of unauthorised structures were constructed inside the premises.

Corporation officials, who arrived to take possession of the palace after the eviction of the lessee, were shocked to find the building ravaged to the core. The carved teak doors, windowpanes, ornamental lamps and wooden frames were missing. All the electrical fittings were taken away and in some rooms even the wires were ripped off. The exquisite carvings on the granite steps and the conch insignia of the Travancore royal family in bold relief on the north wall were the only remnants. Assessing the damage at Rs.30 lakhs, the then Mayor, Mr.V.Sivankutty, had vowed to recover the missing items.

Under the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Remains Act, 1968, the Archaeology department can declare a 100-year-old building as a protected monument and prevent its demolition. But the department often shies away from doing so, for the simple reason that in such a case, it is shouldered with the responsibility of preserving the structure.

The South palace is only one of the scores of stately mansions and ancestral buildings, which contribute to the old-world charm of the capital city. Many of these magnificent buildings have been razed to the ground or earmarked for destruction by land developers.

Though more than 100 years old, the palace has not been included in the list of heritage monuments identified by the Art and Heritage Commission.

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