PUNALUR: The shankhu mudra arch with the royal insignia of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom in Tamil Nadu’s Sengottai was demolished on Thursday as part of renovation works. The British era arch, said to be over a century old, was constructed using red bricks and Surkhi powder.

With the threat of collapse looming over the years, the Sengottai corporation decided to demolish the arch amid tight security on Thursday. The corporation even allowed Rs 33 lakh for the reconstruction of the arch, with the idea of keeping intact the Travancore royal insignia.

The arch was posing a threat to commuters, and it was only recently that a truck crashed into the relic, further deteriorating its condition. The arch was located near the Sengottai police station. In the olden days, Sengottai taluk was part of the Travancore kingdom. In the merger of districts in 1956, Sengottai was transferred to Tamil Nadu. The officials soon made the arch, the gateway connecting Kerala to Tamil Nadu.

The arch stood the test of time despite the ignorance of Tamil Nadu officials to do the necessary repair works. The plastering of the arch also started wearing out in the last few days.

With the road getting wider, the demand to demolish the arch became stronger, and this was when Kadayanallur MLA C Krishnamurali gave assent to the reconstruction works.