Thiruvananthapuram the capital of Kerala, located at the South Western tip of India,is bound by the Arabian Sea on the West and Tamil Nadu on the East. The wooded highlands on the Western Ghats in the Eastern and North Eastern borders offer some of the most enchanting picnic spots. Its long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage make this district a much sought after tourist destination.
The tourism sector in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, South India is developing very fast. As the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, also known as Trivandrum for short, attracts many business visitors and tourists who come from all over the world to marvel at the many exquisite temples, the green picnic spots, especially in the Western Ghats and a host of other tourist attractions. Among the most bewitching tourist attractions are the charming and picturesque backwaters.
Kovalam Beach: 16 kms away this internationally renowned Beach Resort has been a favourite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The Southernmost, known as the Lighthouse beach, is the most popular Kovalam offers accommodation options to suit all budgets.
Padmanabha Swamy Temple: The temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, & a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is known for its Mural Paintings and Stone Carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu Temples in India, the presiding deity in here is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha the serpent.
|
Kuthiramalika Palace Museum: The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional travancore style of architecture also has exquisite wood carvings. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family.
The Napier Museum: Built in the 19th century, the Indo - Saracenic structure boasts a "natural" Airconditioning system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. The use of plastic is banned in the museum premises.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery: Located near the Napier Museum. This art gallery displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of Art In India. Other places of interest are The Zoological Park, Priyadarshini Planetarium, Observatory, Shankhumugham beach & Connemera Market.
Excursions: Thiruvallam 10 kms away this serene backwater stretch enroute to Kovalam, is famous for its Canoe Rides. Aruvikkara Dam 16 kms away this picturesque picnic spot is on the banks of the Karamana River. Near the Durga Temple here is a stream full of fish that fearlessly come close to the shore to be fed by the visitors.Vizhinjam rock cut cave, Koyikkal palace Nejumangad, Neyyar Dam
For more information, visit
www.incredibleindia.org
www.keralatourism.org
|
|
 |
Gujarat plans to develop Kutch, Mandvi beaches
With a 1,650-km coastline, Gujarat plans to develop beaches in places such as Kutch and Mandvi on the lines of those in Kerala and Goa. This is just one of the State Government’s ambitious plans to tap the tourism potential that Gujarat has to offer.
The recent Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit saw memoranda of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 45,000 crore for hotels, convention centres, resorts, and adventure tourism in the State, said Mr Kamlesh Patel, Chairman, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd.
With attractions across the tourism spectrum – religious sites such as Somnath, Nageshwar, Dwarka, and Ambaji; architectural and heritage centres such as Champaner, which is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site, Lothal, and Dholavira; the famous palaces at Vadodara and Bhavnagar; handicrafts centres such as Kutch and Jamnagar; hill stations such as Saputara; eco-tourism centres such as Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch and Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, the State has a huge potential “waiting to be tapped,” he added.
Major tourist draws
“Till a few years ago, Gujarat mainly had business tourists. But now the Government wants to promote tourism destinations in a big way,” said Mr Patel. The State’s colourful festivals such as Navrathri and the International Kite Festival are also major tourist draws, he added.
As part of the promotion and marketing campaign, the tourism corporation “has been actively participating in all tourism-related fairs across the country, and also through “ad campaigns in in-flight magazines and some popular English and local language newspapers and magazines,” said Mr Patel.
Tourism information centres are also being planned at Chandigarh, Amritsar, Bhopal, Jammu and Nagpur, in addition to those in major metros. He expected tourist arrivals in the State, which was 1.4 crore in 2007-08, to cross 1.7 crore in 2008-09.
Source :
The Hindu Business Line |
|
|
