A view of the Eraniel palace.

| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGMENT

The first phase reconstruction of the dilapidated palace in Eraniel has stalled after 65% of the work was completed due to reported delay in approval of funds.The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department has submitted a proposal seeking funds to complete remaining work under the first phase, it is said.According to HR&CE officials, the Eraniel palace served as the royal abode of Venad and Travancore kings. The palace complex spread over an area of 2.16 acres, consists of two parts, which is the residence of the officials and others and the king’s sleeping quarters (vasantha mandapam). The palace has a four-sided courtyard structure with a small courtyard, four enclosures, three rooms on the sides and kitchen. There was a first floor above the enclosure. During the reorganisation of States in 1956, the palace was handed over to the Kanniyakumari district temple administration.However, over the years, the palace had fallen into a state of severe deterioration due to passage of time and exposure to elements. During the grant request for the year 2013-2014, former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced that the Eraniel palace would be reconstructed without changing its original appearance at a cost of ₹3.85 crores. However due to legal challenges, the project took off only in 2022.According to HR&CE officials, while the amount under administrative sanction was ₹3.85 crore for the project, the tendered amount for the project (including 12% GST) was around ₹4.75 crore and the revised administrative sanction for the project (including 18% GST) was ₹8.20 crore. However, the order sanctioning the revised assessment of ₹5.41 crore is currently awaited, for which the department has recently submitted a proposal.The official added that Jayakumar from Tiruttani, who bagged the contract, began the reconstruction work. Though initially it was planned to reuse the 20% of wooden structures in the palace, the plan was eventually abandoned as the structures were found to be completely deteriorated.The official further noted that 65% of the work has been completed in the first phase of reconstruction, along with 10% of preliminary works for the balance work. Published - September 02, 2026 07:49 pm IST