The State government has accorded administrative sanction for a Rs.45-lakh tourism project, which is expected to give a facelift for the centuries-old Mishkal mosque and the adjoining Kuttichira pond in Kozhikode. District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) Secretary P.G. Rajeev told The Hindu that the project was primarily aimed at improving the facilities for the pilgrim-tourists and history/heritage enthusiasts visiting the site every year.
Project cut short
Though the project was initially conceived for an estimated cost of Rs. 1.1cores, it had to be cut short to the present amount following a recommendation from the Tourism Department. The entire project would be rearranged to fit in to the present budget retaining the basic requirements, said P.C. Rasheed, the consultant architect of the project. The project, among other things, comprised landscaping and paving of vitrified tiles in the surrounding yards of the mosque, fixing seating arrangements and fancy lamps around the Kuttichira pond after sprucing up the entire area by setting up pergolas and other beautification methods.
The changes would be done without disturbing the normal life of the area. “Ensuring the basic facilities and comforts for visitors will be a priority are of the project,’ said Mr. Rasheed. Submitted to the government through the DTPC a few months ago, the project was given the sanction only two weeks ago. According to Mr. Rajeev, the DTPC had already requested the Tourism Ministry to quickly transfer the fund to speed up the implementation of the project. “The Minister has promised us to do it without any delay,” said Mr. Rajeev.
Once the fund was transferred, the project would be handed over to an executing agency, most probably the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra through a tender, he added.
Renovation work
A few years ago, major renovation work was done on the Mishkal mosque, which is believed to be constructed as early as 650 years ago, under a project proposed by the district administration and funded by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) under its schemes for conservation, renovation, and restoration of cultural and historical monuments. The present work was expected to be completed in 12 months, said the DTPC secretary.
The Hindu