Many villages and parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts will be part of the Spice Route development initiative, for which an MoU was signed here on Friday between Unesco and Kerala Tourism.
The artefacts discovered from the region suggest links to the spice trade that flourished over two millennia ago.
Experts believe that Muziris, a port located at Pattanam near North Paravur in Ernakulam district, served as a key link in the spice trade with the West till it was destroyed in the 14th century by a natural disaster.
The heritage projects around Muziris are expected to be exciting new additions to Kerala’s tourist destinations.
To a question on sourcing funds for Muziris heritage conservation, secretary of Kerala Tourism Suman Billa said that the State and Centre have together contributed around Rs. 90 crore. “We look forward to more State and Central funds,” he said.
Four museums in the area are ready for inauguration by September.
“For visitors, it would not be just sightseeing, but a cultural and academic interaction. An international culinary festival, too, has been planned in Muziris, while a fellowship project will be launched for youth,” he said.
On how far local communities stand to benefit from Muziris project, Mr. Billa said that community members played a key role in documenting the excavations at the site. The services of housewives, senior citizens and students will be used for providing guided tour of the site.
He had led Kerala Tourism’s efforts in engaging with other countries on the Spice Route and Unesco, during the past few years.
For promoting Spice Route, Kerala and Unesco will mobilise bilateral and multilateral collaboration with the other countries involved in ancient spice trade.
Several historical areas of Kerala linked with the ancient Spice Route will be developed under the agreement to promote heritage conservation.
Another highlight of the agreement is promoting academic exchange, intercultural dialogue and joint heritage conservation projects among 31 countries.
The state’s key status on the world’s cultural tourism map has received a fillip with the country’s first biennale, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale of 2013. Its second edition beginning in December is expected to bring in thousands of domestic and international tourists to Kerala.
