Work resumes on Heritage Park

Park is being set up at a cost of ₹4 crore, but work was stopped due to lockdown

Work in progress at the Heritage Park on Butterworth Road in Tiruchi.

The Tiruchi Corporation has resumed work on establishing a Heritage Park (Purathana Poonga) under the Smart City Mission on Butterworth Road in the city.

The project will come up in an area of 1.27 acres and celebrate the heritage and history of the city, officials said.

Civil works for the park had begun in December last but had to be abruptly stopped in March due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the lockdown norms were eased, work began after Independence Day, said S. Sivasubramanian, Corporation Commissioner. The park will have on display mural paintings, statues and information tracing the vibrant history of the city through the ages, he added.

“We are ensuring physical distancing and regular handwashing practices. Since the workers live nearby, they are able to go home even without the availability of public transport,” an official said.

The area where the park is to come up used to be a horse stable and the original archway, depicting two horses still remains intact. It is to be preserved and will be used as the main entrance of the park, Rajesh Kanna, Assistant Executive Engineer, Tiruchi City Corporation said. The park is being established at a cost of ₹4 crore.

The entrance will also feature statues of Rani Mangammal, Karikala Chola and Raja Raja Chola, all rulers who helped develop the area that is Tiruchi today. It will also also have statues of Viswanatha Nayak, the first Nayakar king and Thirumalai Nayak.

The park will feature sections on the early Cholas, Pallavas, medieval Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Maratha Empire, Madurai Nayaks and the British Empire. Each of the sections will have statues made by the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation.

“The statues and plaques alone cost ₹2 crore and will include details of the contributions of various rulers and dynasties to the city and important landmarks,” Mr. Kanna said.

Walkways, a large amphitheatre, herbal garden with plants including hibiscus, Mexican mint, holy basil, rose and butterfly pea are some other features of the park. All retaining walls of the park will also double up as vertical gardens. “Schools will be encouraged to bring students here on study tours,” Mr. Sivasubramanian said. A large children’s play area, car and two-wheeler parking space and a toilet complex is also being planned. “We intend to complete the work within a year. The statues have already been ordered and work is under way,” he added.