Rs 99.92 Lakh Approved for Beautification of Kuttikkanam Pallikunnu Church

IDUKKI:

The Tourism Department has granted administrative sanction of Rs 99,92,380 for the development and beautification of the 1869-built Pallikunnu St. George CSI Church in Kuttikkanam in the district.

The sanction comes on the basis of a detailed project report prepared by the Tourism Department to enhance the facilities, as per instructions from Tourism and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas who had visited the church seven months ago.

The Pallikkunnu Church beautification project includes an entrance, snack-bar, wash rooms, walkway, landscaping, seating, electric lighting, waste containers, children’s entertainment equipment, parking area and CCTV system.

The church was built in 1869 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) under the leadership of Rev. Henry Baker Jr. It stands as an important historical monument that evokes the history of colonization and the early plantation era in the region. Notable amid its British architecture is a cemetery with a horse tomb.

The Minister said beautification of lesser-known tourist attractions and development of their infrastructure is among the top priorities of the Tourism Department. “Kerala Tourism has implemented several projects, including two state-of-the-art eco-lodges in Idukki district, which is a tourist’s paradise,” he pointed out. “Places that evoke history and heritage along with their beauty are an asset to tourism.”