The roundabout at Palanganatham here has been given a new look with the inauguration of an aesthetically-designed structure based on a portion of Tirumalai Nayak Palace.
The structure is one of the five such roundabouts in the city that are being given a new look under the Swachh Iconic Places initiative. While the work in three roundabouts, including the one in Palanganatham, is over, it is yet to be completed in the roundabouts in Tirupparankundram and Sellur.
Cooperation Minister ‘Sellur’ K. Raju, who inaugurated the structure on Saturday, said the government, through such initiatives, was trying to give a new look to the city while at the same time retaining its cultural heritage. “Madurai will witness manifold development once all the ongoing projects under Swachh Bharat Mission gets completed,” he said.
RM. Valliappan, Principal Architect of the firm Karvin Design Consultants, which was engaged by Madurai Corporation in designing the five roundabouts, said that the idea was to transform these traffic islands as usable urban spaces by installing structures that showcased both iconic architectures in Madurai and its culture.
“At Palanganatham, we’ve tried to create the 10 pillars of Tirumalai Nayak Palace on Mahal Vadampokki Street, which forms part of the roughly one-fourth of the original palace that remains today,” he said.
A replica of the throne in the palace has been placed at the centre of the 10 pillars arranged in a circular fashion. The place will be illuminated at night with colourful lights, a statement by the Corporation said.
The roundabout at Palanganatham was revamped with the support of ₹58 lakh from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the statement added.
Apart from this, Mr. Raju also inaugurated a renovated park and a library building at Pykara on Saturday. Collector S. Natarajan, and Corporation Commissioner S. Visakan were present during the inauguration.
