A witness to the first organised revolt against the British in 1721, the Attingal Palace is set to get a fresh lease of life. The sprawling complex is crumbling and in need of urgent conservation.
Attingal was historically the residence of women rulers of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore.
The son of the senior matriarch of Attingal was crowned the king of Travancore.
Now, the State government has sanctioned ₹1.05 crore for the conservation of the dilapidated structure. Archaeology Director E. Dinesh said priority would be given to structural conservation.
The entrance to the complex through a two-storey Padippura is in ruins.
With massive pillars carved out from stone and wood, the Padippura is in bad shape – the wood has decayed and the roof tiles are broken, causing seepage and structural damage. Some of the columns are missing and the handrails will require rebuilding.
The floor, once paved with terracotta tiles, has a cemented finish, a report prepared by the department on the palace said.
The complex comprises Naalukettu, Nadapanthal, Kothalam, and Oottupura, none of which fare much better.
Original structure
The original structure has undergone many changes. The Naalukettu has been altered on three sides.
It has been connected to the Oottupura using iron girder and asbestos sheet.
To the south, reinforced cement concrete roof slabs are also visible.
A number of materials such as wood, stone, lime work, different types of tiles, and so on have been used from the basement to the superstructure of the palace complex. Outside, the courtyard is covered with interlocking pavement tiles but the water collected under them is harming the palace structure. Banyan trees grow rampant and thick creepers cover the retaining wall, while the lime plastering of the compound wall is coming apart.
Mr. Dinesh said attempts were on to remove as many of these changes as possible and the restore the structure to the original form in line with conservation principles.
He said the government had earmarked ₹3 crore in the State Budget for the conservation of the palace.
Conservation
Immediate conservation was imperative, and the sanction of ₹1.05 crore would help launch the work.
After e-tendering the work, the department expected to move to conservation aspects soon, he said.