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It will be the country’s first visual treat for visitors to be beamed inside a tunnel, powered by video mapping technology, according to an official statement on Monday (February 23).<\/p>\n
\nChilakoor Tunnel, renovated as part of the first phase of Akkulam-Chettuva Waterway project, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The 280-km Akkulam-Chettuva Waterway is part of the 616-km Kovalam-Bekal waterway project, a milestone in Kerala’s inland waterways development, scaling up the state’s standing as a multi-modal logistic hub and boosting the state’s water-based tourism potential, it said.<\/p>\n
The tunnel renovation work has been carried out by Kerala Waterways Infrastructure Limited (KWIL), a joint venture of the state government and the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).<\/p>\n
CIAL will also launch a light and sound system-integrated electric boat for tourists to enjoy the visual spectacle inside the tunnel, it said.<\/p>\n
The show, powered by mapping technology on the tunnel’s surface, has been designed and executed for \u20b9<\/span>4.5 crore. \nIt will beam a 3D video to take the viewers through Kerala’s picturesque landscape, the defining moments of the evolution of literature and literary icons, tourism destinations, and the diversity of culture.<\/p>\n A six-minute visual spectacle about the life and teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, who pioneered the social reform movement of Kerala, is the highlight of the show, S Suhas, Director, KWIL, said.<\/p>\n Students and faculty of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Thripunithura, Kochi, have created the illustrated frames of Guru’s life, which have been set in motion using cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n The boat ride and light-and-sound show will mark the panoramic Chilakoor Beach as a riveting destination, imparting a big thrust to water-based tourism in Kerala, Suhas said.<\/p>\n The specially designed 20-seater electric boat is built by Kochi-based startup NavAlt Green Mobility.<\/p>\n The vessel is equipped with four high-intensity laser projectors, advanced onboard sound systems, and battery power, ensuring a synchronised and eco-friendly visual spectacle.<\/p>\n KWIL is also setting up a beach park and boat jetty at the canal, and Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre will set up a ticket counter for visitors.<\/p>\n Chilakoor Tunnel is a 350-metre engineering marvel, designed to make hassle-free the end-to-end inland navigation of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.<\/p>\n The canal has been restored to navigable condition as part of the state government’s Inland Waterways development project, the statement added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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