The Tiruchi Corporation has resumed work on establishing a Heritage Park (Purathana Poonga) under the Smart City Mission on Butterworth Road.
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 but had to be stopped in March due to the lockdown. However, after the norms were eased, work began after Independence Day, said S. Sivasubramanian, City Corporation Commissioner. The park will have on display mural paintings, statues and information tracing the history of the city through the ages, he added.
“We are ensuring physical distancing and regular handwashing practices. Since the workers live nearby, they do not have to stay on the site and 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 will be preserved and will be used as the main entrance of the park,” Rajesh Kanna, assistant executive engineer, Tiruchi Corporation, said.
The park is being established at a cost of ₹4 crore. The entrance will also have statues of Rani Mangammal, Karikala Cholan and Raja Raja Cholan, 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 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 of the 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 and they will be able to learn the history of the city in an interactive method,” Mr. Sivasubramanian said.
A large children’s play area, car and two-wheeler parking space and a toilet complex are 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.