Tucked away from the busy Avvai Shanmugam Salai in Ozhuginasery in Nagercoil is a heritage structure locally known as Chathiram. Constructed in the 1860s by the then Travancore King Vishakam Thirunal (May 19, 1837 – August 4, 1885) for the army personnel to take rest, the building, which is more than 160-years old, functioned as a fire service station and now accommodates the Economic Offences Wing and Fingerprint Bureau of the Kanniyakumari district.
As time and neglect have left the building damaged in many places and the roof is also in a bad shape, the Building Centre and Conservation Division (BCCD) of the Public Works Department (PWD), has launched a project to restore the building to its original look.
“The building, covering 2,443 square feet, exemplifies the architecture of the South Travancore. The total cost for the restoration project is ₹1.21 crore,” said S. Manikandan, Executive Engineer, BCCD.
