CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will throw open the renovated Valluvar Kottam for public viewing here on Saturday.
A tourist landmark and cultural icon of the state capital, Valluvar Kottam was constructed during the 1971-75 tenure of the DMK, led by then-Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, but has lost its lustre over the years.
Due to years of neglect, or rather, maintenance, the landmark structure gradually lost its sheen during the last decade and a half.
In an effort to revive its lost glory and bring people back to its campus like in the past, Chief Minister MK Stalin had announced the renovation of Valluvar Kottam at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore.
As a part of its renovation project, the State government has also developed a 20,000 sq ft fully air-conditioned “Ayyan Valluvar Cultural Hall” with the capacity to seat 1,548 people. The cultural hall has been designed to organise cultural and literary events. The government has also given a facelift to the “kural manimandapam” where all the 1,330 couples of Poet Thiruvalluvar, along with their paraphrase rendered by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, have been displayed with an artistic touch.
A Thirukkkural auditorium and research library with the capacity to seat 100 persons has also been developed to support literary debates and educational research. The newly renovated Valluvar Kottam also has the capacity to park 162 cars underground, besides a 3,336 sq ft food court to cater to the needs of the visitors.
Audiovisual elements have also been added to the 106 ft stone replica of the Thiruvarur temple car, available on the campus, which is one of the star attractions.