Once grand Valluvar Kottam now a fading attraction
Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com
Chennai:17.01.2019
While the city celebrated Thiruvalluvar Day with pomp and gaiety, a local landmark, bearing the name of the poet-saint, in the city has become a dump yard for construction debris. The sprawling premises of Valluvar Kottam engraved with 1,330 couplets of ‘Thirukkural’ has turned into an eyesore for visitors because of neglect and poor maintenance.
A visit by TOI on Wednesday revealed cracks and broken walls at the entrance of Valluvar Kottam. The corners of the lawns have turned into dump yards for construction debris with thick vegetation covering the trash-filled spots. Ponds in three locations inside Valluvar Kottam have dried up with no sign of restoration. The interiors and exteriors of the grand 30-feet tall chariot, which houses an idol of Thiruvalluvar, has lost its sheen and the eye-catching paintings have faded away.
R Mani, a resident of Aminjikarai who visits Valluvar Kottam every ‘Thiruvalluvar Day’, rues the apathy towards maintaining the popular attraction. “I have not seen the chariot being re-painted at least in the last one decade. It is sad to notice the poor maintenance of one of the important attractions in the city that is often visited by foreigners,” he added.
The two-storey structure has an auditorium on the ground floor, ‘Kural Manimandam’ with 1,330 couplets of Thirukkural engraved on the first floor and entry to the sanctum of seven-foot tall Thiruvalluvar idol placed inside the chariot on the second floor. Of late, the dingy auditorium with a capacity to accommodate 3,500 people has started housing lifestyle exhibitions.
A woman tourist guide spotted at Valluvar Kottam on Wednesday expressed her concern over its maintenance. “It used to be on the tourist map of Chennai after it was inaugurated in the late 1970’s. Several government functions used to happen and now it has been reduced to an exhibition hall,” said the tourist guide requesting anonymity. The roofs of four corridors are broken sans any tubelight.
A project close to the heart of late CM M Karunanidhi, Valluvar Kottam was inaugurated in 1976. About 700 people visit Valluvar Kottam during weekdays and the numbers jump to 1,000 on weekends.
C Dhandapani, from Kodambakkam, wondered what the authorities were doing with the entry fee. “On Thursday, the entire premises will be full of people because of Kaanum Pongal. Can’t the officials even whitewash the walls and keep it clean?” he asked. Official sources said that ₹10 is being collected as entry fee.
When contacted, official sources with the memorial section of the information and public relations department that maintains Valluvar Kottam, said renovation works have commenced. “Renovation works are being carried out with a financial outlay of ₹85 lakh and 10% of the work is over. We expect the premises to be refurbished by March,” the official said.
NEGLECTED HERITAGE: The walls of Valluvar Kottam have cracks and poor lighting with the paintings fading away. The lawns have turned into dump yards for construction debris
Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com
Chennai:17.01.2019
While the city celebrated Thiruvalluvar Day with pomp and gaiety, a local landmark, bearing the name of the poet-saint, in the city has become a dump yard for construction debris. The sprawling premises of Valluvar Kottam engraved with 1,330 couplets of ‘Thirukkural’ has turned into an eyesore for visitors because of neglect and poor maintenance.
A visit by TOI on Wednesday revealed cracks and broken walls at the entrance of Valluvar Kottam. The corners of the lawns have turned into dump yards for construction debris with thick vegetation covering the trash-filled spots. Ponds in three locations inside Valluvar Kottam have dried up with no sign of restoration. The interiors and exteriors of the grand 30-feet tall chariot, which houses an idol of Thiruvalluvar, has lost its sheen and the eye-catching paintings have faded away.
R Mani, a resident of Aminjikarai who visits Valluvar Kottam every ‘Thiruvalluvar Day’, rues the apathy towards maintaining the popular attraction. “I have not seen the chariot being re-painted at least in the last one decade. It is sad to notice the poor maintenance of one of the important attractions in the city that is often visited by foreigners,” he added.
The two-storey structure has an auditorium on the ground floor, ‘Kural Manimandam’ with 1,330 couplets of Thirukkural engraved on the first floor and entry to the sanctum of seven-foot tall Thiruvalluvar idol placed inside the chariot on the second floor. Of late, the dingy auditorium with a capacity to accommodate 3,500 people has started housing lifestyle exhibitions.
A woman tourist guide spotted at Valluvar Kottam on Wednesday expressed her concern over its maintenance. “It used to be on the tourist map of Chennai after it was inaugurated in the late 1970’s. Several government functions used to happen and now it has been reduced to an exhibition hall,” said the tourist guide requesting anonymity. The roofs of four corridors are broken sans any tubelight.
A project close to the heart of late CM M Karunanidhi, Valluvar Kottam was inaugurated in 1976. About 700 people visit Valluvar Kottam during weekdays and the numbers jump to 1,000 on weekends.
C Dhandapani, from Kodambakkam, wondered what the authorities were doing with the entry fee. “On Thursday, the entire premises will be full of people because of Kaanum Pongal. Can’t the officials even whitewash the walls and keep it clean?” he asked. Official sources said that ₹10 is being collected as entry fee.
When contacted, official sources with the memorial section of the information and public relations department that maintains Valluvar Kottam, said renovation works have commenced. “Renovation works are being carried out with a financial outlay of ₹85 lakh and 10% of the work is over. We expect the premises to be refurbished by March,” the official said.
NEGLECTED HERITAGE: The walls of Valluvar Kottam have cracks and poor lighting with the paintings fading away. The lawns have turned into dump yards for construction debris
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