Mattancherry town hall gets a facelift after 50 years

The renovation project cost around Rs. 2 crore, says T.K. Ashraf, councillor from West Kochi.

The renovated Nehru Memorial Town Hall at Mattancherry was thrown open to public on Monday.

The main hall of the complex can house 1,000 people and the space would be reserved for conducting marriages and cultural functions. Food will not be served here, but at the main dining hall, which can seat 800 persons. And the mini hall in the complex’s first floor can accommodate another 200 persons, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

Mr. Ashraf, also the councillor from West Kochi, said the project cost around Rs. 2 crore.

Feeding rooms for lactating mothers, separate toilet complex and parking facility for 60 cars are some of the highlights of the renovated project, he said.

This would be one of the best public auditoriums in the West Kochi area. The tariff for using the auditorium complex for eight hours has been fixed as Rs. 8,090 to make it accessible for commoners. The foundation stone for the project was laid in 1958 and the complex was inaugurated in 1963 when Kochi was a municipality. This was the major renovation undertaken for the half-a-century-old building, said Mr. Ashraf.

PWD Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju inaugurated the hall in the presence of Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany.