The 506-year-old Fort St. Angelo here is all set to be a spot of tourist attraction as plans to start a permanent light-and-sound show highlighting the history of the fort and of the region are on the anvil pending final approval of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The proposal for the show that displays the rich history of the region and the role played by the fort as a station of colonial powers here has been mooted by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) when a similar show to attract tourists was proposed for the Bekal Fort in Kasaragod. Though the final approval is to be given by the ASI Directorate in New Delhi, the proposal has already been cleared by the State Tourism Department. A presentation was made for Tourism Department officials in Thiruvananthapuram on October 12, DTPC officials here said adding the Rs.3.5-crore project is almost sanctioned by the department.
The massive triangular laterite fort, almost jutting into the Arabian Sea and overlooking a fishing bay, was constructed by the Portuguese in 1505. The fort with its bastions, which is separated from the mainland by a mote, is a popular picnic spot and a heritage tourism destination. The chequered history of the fort is very much a part of the history of Kannur. It was later controlled by the Dutch, who had handed it over to the local rulers known as Ali Rajas who possessed it till 1790 when the British took over its control. Now a protected monument under the ASI, it is being promoted by the Tourism Department as a tourist destination since the celebration of the fort's 500th anniversary in 2005.
According to DTPC secretary M.V. Kunhiraman, who is also Deputy Director of Tourism here, though the proposal for the show was awaiting the approval of the Director-General of the ASI, the Tourism Department initiated steps in this direction after it secured a preliminary nod from the ASI Superintending Archaeologist's Office in Thrissur as the fort is under its jurisdiction. The Superintending Archaeologist has forwarded the letter seeking sanction for the show to the Delhi office of the ASI, he said adding the Tourism Department was now planning to commission a detailed project report (DPR) as the proposal was found to be economically feasible.
The Tourism Department is planning to go ahead with the proposal by inviting tenders from companies having expertise in establishing such light-and-sound show arrangements at heritage sites in different parts of the country. The department is also planning to consult historians for preparing the script for the show for throwing light on the history of Kannur with special emphasis on the fort, which has survived the ravages of time and onslaughts of the sea.
The fort now has an information gallery run by the ASI exhibiting some photos and antiques collected by the ASI. The heritage site also has a tourism police aid post.
