Empty liquor bottles and squeezed polythene water sachets welcome the visitors to the premises of the Eraniel palace — one of the power centres of the Travancore kings — that has become a refuge for vandals now. Even though former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced ₹3.85 crore in 2013 to restore the palace to its original glory, it continues to present a picture of neglect and dereliction.
Recently, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department called for tenders from people with expertise in restoring such buildings. However, a visit to the ruined palace shows that it is beyond restoration.
“It has gone beyond the stage of conservation and preservation. Now, you have to reconstruct the building brick by brick. Of course, you can use the core material like the granite pillars and slabs,” said P.S. Rajan, founder of Agency for Providing Traditional Solution on Restoration of Built Heritage (APTSORBH).
A treasure house and seasonal capital of the Venad dynasty before coming under the rule of Travancore kings, Eraniel, situated 20 km away from Nagercoil, was one of the taluks of the kingdom.
“Historically, it was known as Ranasinganallur. It lost its prominence after the capital of Travancore was shifted from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram. It used to be the residence of the King’s relatives,” said folklorist A.K. Perumal.
The Jaya connection
Mr. Rajan said if Jayalalithaa were alive, she would have perhaps speeded up the process of restoration.
“Unfortunately, we are not able to make any progress and waiting for the finalisation of the second tender for the work,” said Mr. Rajan, who first prepared a restoration report for the Delhi chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2000. This moved fast when S. Nagararajan, the then Collector of the Kanniyakumari district, persuaded Mr. Rajan to prepare another report in 2010.
“I made a PPT presentation to senior officials including R. Kannan, the then Commissioner of Archaeology and Museums. It led to Jayalalithaa sanctioning the amount. But today, the fund is not adequate for reconstruction,” said Mr. Rajan.
The palace assumed prominence in modern times when Veluthampi Thalawai, a native of Thalakulam, a few kilometres away from Eraniel, organised the local chiefs and farmers against the rule of Thalawai Jayanthan Namboothiri who joined hands with Sankaranarayan Chetti and Mathur Tharakan and collected exorbitant taxes.
Spread over 2.43 acres, the main residential unit has a double-storey house with a beautiful muttram. The granite pillars that once adorned the muttram (courtyard) are either broken or removed from their original spot. A small tank used for bathing is also destroyed.
The v asantha mandapam , in an elevated platform on the western side of the complex, is also in ruins. The wooden panels with carvings have been broken into pieces. The only structure that is still intact is an ornate stone couch. “You will feel cool in the summer and warm in the winter in the couch,” said Mr. Rajan.
Sorry state: The ₹3.85 crore that former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa allotted for the restoration of the palace will not suffice given the passage of time and the additional work involved.
