With an abundance of heritage sites and an exclusive terminal for tourist boats, Changanassery is all set to take off as a destination this year.
Aimed at bringing a significant increase in tourist arrivals, the Department of Tourism will soon commission a jetty to entice tourist boats to the destination. The terminal, established at ₹1 crore allocated under the State government’s Asset Development Fund, is located near the historically significant Changanassery market — a popular shooting location.
Inauguration
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran is scheduled to inaugurate the terminal in February.
Tourism officials said the commissioning of the facility would enable seamless movement of visitors between Changanassery and the interiors of Kuttanad, a major backwater destination.
Besides ferrying visitors, the project has also set the ball rolling for restoration of the now-defunct Manakkachira tourism project.
“The final hurdle for launching the boat services was cleared recently with the Public Works Department proposing the reconstruction of the KC bridge at Kidangara on the Alappuzha-Changanassery boat-route canal. The new bridge, with a raised causeway, will enable the operation of all types of boats, including the specially designed house boats,” said C.F. Thomas, Changanassery MLA.
According to Mr. Thomas, the second phase expansion of the terminal envisages development of the Vettadi canal to operate Shikara boats between the jetty and Manakkachira. “To revive the Manakkachira project, a ₹95 lakh proposal to promote water sports and pedal boat services has been made with the support of the District Tourism Promotion Council,” he said.
Heritage museum
Meanwhile, the State Archaeology Department is in the final stages of opening a heritage museum at the over 500-year-old Kumaramangalathu Mana, owned by the family of former Communist legislator K.G.N. Namboothippad, at Puzhavath.
The museum building, which exemplifies traditional Kerala architecture, will showcase a host of documents and pictures regarding the history and heritage of Changanassery, a part of the erstwhile Thekkumkur kingdom.
Minister for Archaeology and Museums Kadannappilly Ramachandran will launch the project early next month.