A jog through the royal walkway of the Hill Palace Museum every morning may be a favourite area that those who are fitness conscious in and around Thrippunithura prefer. However they are likely to be in for a surprise as the museum authorities are planning to cut down on entry passes for joggers and morning walkers. The museum’s roads are already crowded with joggers and walkers from 5 am to 9 am, and officials think it is time to restrict the numbers.
The decision to cut down on the number of people comes in the wake of a security lapse that occurred in the museum, where workers left the door of the armoury building open all night. It was morning walkers who first noticed the open door and intimated officials about the incident. The security at the museum has also been strengthened since the incident. Personnel from the Hill Palace police camp have also been deployed at the museum during the morning hours these days, to keep a watch on joggers and walkers.
The museum has issued around 400 passes so far of which more than half have been given to regular joggers. The passes need to be renewed every six months but fitness enthusiasts will find it tough renewing their passes from now on with officials planning to cut down on numbers.
The authorities have already unofficially decided not to issue new passes to applicants. The walkway was last re-surfaced in 2010 when the museum underwent a renovation, at an expense of `4.5 crore.