A forest palace with stunning architecture, once a vibrant space pulsating with life, is in ruins at Poosimalai Kuppam in Tiruvannamalai district.
The 173-year-old red brick structure was built after 1850 by the 10 th Arni Jagir Srinivasa Rao Sahib. Originally a two-storey building, it is now crumbling. The second floor has nothing left other than the remains of pillars. The roof has collapsed. The Public Works Department has taken up the Herculean task of restoring the edifice to its original glory at a cost of ₹11.54 crore. The work would be carried out by its Building Centre and Conservation Division (BCCD), created in 2016 for heritage conservation and restoration. The BCCD has been raising dilapidated historic structures from the rubble since then. Tamil Nadu is perhaps among the few States with a dedicated heritage restoration wing, executing projects on a large scale. Earlier, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and the Archaeological Survey of India implemented these projects.
