The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : ASI chief visits Mattancherry palace

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Thursday, Nov 11, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

ASI chief visits Mattancherry palace

By Our Staff Reporter

The Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Babu Rajeev, at the eastern entrance to the Dutch Palace, Mattancherry, on Wednesday. Photo: Mahesh Harilal

KOCHI, NOV. 10. Babu Rajeev, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), visited the Mattancherry Palace on Wednesday and had an informal meeting with staff at the palace.

Mr. Rajeev was on his first visit to the monument after taking over as the ASI chief. He said that he was on a familiarisation visit. After discussions with the staff members, Mr. Rajeev visited the eastern gate of the palace, which is under a dispute over its being opened to visitors.

The eastern entrance of the palace leads directly to the Pazhayannoor Bhagavati Temple and is kept just open enough to let visitors squeeze in.

There have been requests in the past for the gate to be thrown open to the hundreds of visitors to the palace, a major tourist attraction in West Kochi.

The Cochin Devaswom Board insisted on partial closure of the gate so that the temple premises would not become a thoroughfare. Mr. Rajeev expressed the hope that more projects would be taken up in Kerala in the near future.

He said that the ASI had not received any proposal for the Dutch Cemetery, one of the oldest historical monuments in Kerala.

K. K. Ramamurthy, superintending archaeologist, and K.P. Mohandas, assistant superintending archaeologist, accompanied him.

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