India's first light-and-sound show in tunnel to be launched in Kerala's Chilakoor on Feb 26

A light-and-sound show, featuring Kerala's history with its focus on saint-social reformer Sree Narayana Guru's teachings, will be launched in Chilakoor Tunnel near Varkala on February 26. 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. Chilakoor 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 sanding as a multi-modal logistic hub and boosting the state's water-based tourism potential, it said. 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). CIAL will also launch a light and sound system-integrated electric boat for tourists to enjoy the visual spectacle inside the tunnel, it said. The show, powered by mapping technology on the tunnel's surface, has been designed and executed at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. It will beam a 3D video to take the viewers through Kerala's picturesque landscape, the defining moments of evolution of literature and literary icons, tourism destinations and diversity of culture. 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. Students and faculty of R L V 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. 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. The specially designed 20-seater electric boat is built by Kochi-based startup NavAlt Green Mobility. 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. 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. 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. The canal has been restored to navigable condition as part of the state government's Inland Waterways development project, the statement added.