Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Sunday (August 16, 2026) proposed to elevate Thripunithura as a heritage town, highlighting the region’s historical importance. The Chief Minister made the proposal while inaugurating Athachamayam, the annual 10-day cultural fiesta heralding the onset of the Onam festival.

Citing the royal legacy of the town, the Chief Minister rued that several historical monuments in Thripunithura were in peril. “There were over 50 palaces in the region. Nowhere in the world, such palaces will be demolished. They will be preserved. But in Thripunithura, a lot of historical monuments are perishing,” he rued.

He called upon the elected representatives from the region to come together beyond political lines and get a proper proposal made with the help of experts to elevate the stature of Thripunithura to a heritage town.

“Then the government will extend full support to materialise the project,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Satheesan said Athachamayam as an event with a strong tradition of religious harmony. “Since its beginning, this has been an event highlighting religious unity. When the erstwhile royals conducted the event, the Thangal (a Muslim scholar) from Nettoor, the priest of the Karingachira church, and Chempil Arayan, the naval head of the then kingdom of Kochi, were part of the procession. Their representatives still attend the event,” he said.

Actor Jagadeesh flagged off the cultural procession marking the beginning of Athachamayam. Thripunithura MLA Deepak Joy chaired the meet which was attended by Minister Anoop Jacob, MPs Hibi Eden and Francis George, and municipal chairperson P.L. Babu among others.

Thousands of people thronged the town to witness the colourful Atham rally featuring floats and folk-dance performances flaunting the State’s cultural diversity.