Vehicle crash severely damages centuries-old pillar at Vadakkekotta

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A pillar at Vadakkekotta (North Fort) in Thiruvananthapuram, which stands just before the Government Taluk hospital here, was severely damaged after a vehicle crashed into it on Saturday. Maintained by the archaeological department, the pillar is at least 250 years old. The incident took place around 1.15 am when a trailer crashed into the pillar, said officials working with the archaeology department. They suspect that a possible deviation taken by the trailer due to the ongoing highway work lead to the crash. Local people mentioned that cracks visible on the top of the pillar were formed after the crash, a claim denied by the department. The basement of the pillar has nearly been displaced. It would only take a strong rain to cost people their lives here, said an autorickshaw driver. The owner of a tea shop nearby said that not many people have seen the vehicle as the crash took place past midnight. Three days into the incident, police officers still have not been able to trace the vehicle involved. We are checking the CCTV cameras in the locality, police officials said. An official from the archaeology department confirmed that if the weather remains positive, repair work of the pillar will begin this week after the Puja holidays. The first step will be dismantling the current pillar, as a namesake patchwork will not last in the long run. The department will then reconstruct it with materials like lime, which was used to build it originally. We will try to retain maximum portions of the original pillar, the departments conservation engineer said. When the accident took place, the department had been working towards the conservation of other forts in the premises, he said.