After more than seven months, the historic Padmanabhapuram Palace located in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, which borders Kerala, has been opened for visitors again. The former capital of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore was closed on March 20 this year in view of the spread of COVID-19.
On the first day of the reopening itself, a large number of visitors arrived at the palace from various parts of Tamil Nadu as well as Kerala. Each person was subjected to thermal scanning near the main entrance and directed to sanitize their hands before being allowed inside the palace. Besides, their name, address and the mobile number were entered in a register.
Under the new rules, all visitors have to wear masks and follow social distancing norms in the palace. Moreover, the service of guides is not available now. According to the palace superintendent C S Ajith Kumar, 200 visitors arrived at the palace on the first day of post-lockdown opening.
Members of the public are allowed entry at Padmanabhapuram Palace from 9 am to 4.30, with a break from 12.30 pm to 2 pm. Entry ticket for adults is priced at Rs 40 and for children Rs 10.
