தமிழ்நாடு சுற்றுலா - Tamilnadu Tourism Updates [Archive]

satishanu

October 2nd, 2009, 06:44 PM

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00006/RUSTIC1_6410f.jpg

After traversing acres of farmland, grassland and dry woodland, I reach Mayuram Eco Lodge. A charming little cottage built in the architectural styles of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it is tucked inside the sleepy Govindapperi village.

This 350-acre farm was once over-grazed and denuded. It took a decade of hard work to restore it to its pristine form.

The farmstead today is a healthy grassland and open woodland eco-system that supports birdlife. Right in the middle of this mosaic of open fields and wooded groves, punctuated by big and small water-retention basins, the lodge props up as a perfect countryside retreat. And, the soaring hills of the Western Ghats form a magnificent backdrop.

The cottage has two bedrooms, a separate dining and sitting area, a mini-library and an outhouse. Since the area receives plenty of rainfall, the weather is pleasant throughout the year, though the best months are from October to March.

The interiors and rooms are spartan, but comfortable. The property is rustic, airy and spacious. The estate is surrounded by lakes, savannah parkland and forests that are a sight to feast on while sitting in the verandah.

There is no television or refrigerator in the rooms. "The emphasis is on the richness of experience, rather than on luxury," says the caretaker. The food offered here is tailor-made, specific to the tastes and preferences of the guests. Most products are grown in-house and organically.

For birding and trekking, Mayuram is the right place. The rooms are designed in such a way that it is open to Nature. However, this attracts insects at dusk. So, carry some insect repellent, in addition to good walking or hiking shoes, binoculars, protective sun-glasses and sunscreen lotion, a small knapsack and a bag of toiletries.

The unadventurous can take a tour of the farm, even as peacocks chase them. Birds with brilliantly-coloured plumage catch the eye at every step. Once discovered, Mayuram can never fall off an adventure traveller's map.

THINGS TO DO

Go for village walks, or simply walk into the savannah.

Take short treks to the hills or go bird watching.

Check out the bankura pottery and terracotta workshops, khadi and village bamboo industries at Tenkasi, bell metal foundries at Ambasamudram, bamboo and cane works at Sengottai, korai mat weaving industry at Patthamadai and Kayathar.

Visit the bird sanctuaries at Koonthankulam, Ariyakulam and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai.

You can also visit the Courtallam falls, Manimuthar and Papanasam dams, the Upper Kodaiyar and Manjolai hills with verdant forests and tea, rubber and cardamom plantations.

HOW TO GET THERE

Govindapperi is 247 km from Ernakulam, 167 km from Madurai, 137 km from Thiruvananthapuram and 67 km from Tirunelveli junction.

Take the NH 208 to Tenkasi and turn off the highway on the road to Ambasamudram. Eighteen km later, you'll reach Kadaiyam. Turn right here and cross Mandiyur and Rajangapuram before reaching Govindapperi.
MAYURAM ECO LODGE, KALLARACKAL FARM, GOVINDAPPERI (TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT)

USP: Far from the madding crowd

Tariff

Two non-A/C twin bedrooms cost Rs. 5,000 each, inclusive of tax and three meals.

For details, call 04634-240294 or 0484-2304597/2307955.

Source: http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/article27993.ece?homepage=true

satishanu

October 2nd, 2009, 09:01 PM

Slightly old news dated August 31st 2009.

The State Tourism department plans to introduce cruise tourism to cash in on the increasing trend of tourists opting for cruise travel.

The ambitious move is expected to get shape in the next few months and is expected to provide a major boost to the Tamil Nadu’s tourism and marine industries.

V. Irai Anbu, Secretary, Tourism, told The Hindu on Sunday, “There is a great demand for cruise tourism in the country. Since the State Tourism has the reputation of pioneering new tourism initiatives, we have planned to start cruise tourism. A detailed discussion has been conducted”.

Since it required a lot of expertise for the State tourism to operate vessels on its own, private parties could be roped in, he said. Chennai-Puducherry was among the proposed routes.

A.C. Mohandoss, Director of Tourism and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (TTDC), said the idea was to operate cruise boats to cover 120 km from the shore. The boats could attain a speed of 60 nautical miles and could be operated from bigger ports. It was expected to get good patronage from the tourists.

He said that it was necessary to take approval from the Indian Navy, Port Trusts, Tamil Nadu Maritime Board and other agencies.

A series of procedures had to be followed for operating cruise boats. Necessary facilities to operate boats from ports were needed. Efforts were on to meet these requirements.

He added that importance was being given to promote eco-tourism. A separate wing had been started for this. Since it required the cooperation of Forest Department, an Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest level officer had been appointed to explore the possibility of promoting eco-tourism potential centres. Efforts were on to seek the cooperation and integration of other departments to start tourism initiatives.
Infrastructure

The Director said the State had a large number of facilities for adventure tourism and stood next only to Goa. Parasailing, bungee jumping, scuba diving, archery and others had been introduced in Beach Resort Complex in Mamallapuram and Island Ground. Though the tourism industry had been hit in various countries due to global recession, the TTDC-run hotels were not affected at all. The average occupancy rate was being maintained.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/31/stories/2009083150120100.htm

satishanu

October 2nd, 2009, 09:06 PM

17 Days cruise starting on March 20, 2010.
http://www.cruisecheap.com/imgs/client/customitins/cw-world-voyage2.jpg

Source: http://www.cruisecheap.com/custom_itinerary.asp?ItineraryID=574&SailingID=110003733#hiddenPaxForm

Fusionist

October 2nd, 2009, 09:23 PM

the eco lodge and the cruising tour serems very interesting idea to me. Good find. Such a sad thing most of us dont even know of these places.

kannan infratech

October 3rd, 2009, 10:23 AM

The South West & West TN bordering Kerala (Western Ghats) have numerous places which have great tourist value. I have been visiting most of these places over the years.

Most of these places are known mainly to the locals, Forest Dept / PWD / EB / Water Board employees.

The facilities are very basic but the views are excellent. Trekking through these areas is fabulous experience.

I am in the process of collecting the details of these places and I posted a few requests in SSC forum also earlier.

Please collect the info and post them here.

TANTALIZING TAMILNADU may be the name of the project.

Thanks in advance.

Fusionist

October 3rd, 2009, 07:06 PM

^^ thats an interesting thought indeed.

What could be a possible idea is to encourage eco-tourism, ie. trekking, rafting, wild life safari etc in the TN side of the Ghats in the regions in the Thirunelveli & Madurai district.

This way TN can possibly woe tourists who visit Trivandrum ( and then move on to Kochi & Goa ) , to visit TN instead. ie. Trivandrum to Ghats in TN from Nellai ( for trekking, waterfall, rafting etc ) to Madurai ( for the big temple ), then on to Thanjavur, then to Gangaikondacholapuram, to Ariyalur ( dino site ), Pondicherry, Mamallapuram to Chennai.

Or a Chennai to Chennai South India tour that includes :

Chennai ( arrive )
Hoganakkal
Mysore
Mudumalai
then to Kerala ( Kochi,Trivandrum etc )
Nellai district ( Kourtalam/Papanasam dam etc for trekking, boating, rafting )
Madurai
Trichi
Thanjavur
Gangaikondacholapuram
Pichavaram
Pondicherry
Mamallapuram
Chennai ( depart )

:nuts:

Arul Murugan

October 4th, 2009, 05:03 AM

^^

I guess you meant Theni district. Now Madurai district is not bordering to western ghats now.

TN dense forest map: (more than 95% of dense ones are mountains)

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tamilnadu/tamilnadu-forest-map.gif

Western ghats trekking: (possible ones)

1. Pothigai hills at Tirunelveli dt
2. Cumbum-Bodi-Bodi metu of Theni dt
3. Kodaikanal range of Dindigul dt
4. Top slip - Pollachi, Coimbatore dt
5. Valparai-Attaikatti, Coimbatore dt
6. Nilagiri district

Western ghats trekking:

1. Yelagiri hills - Vellore dt
2. Yercaud - Salem dt
3. Kolli Hills - Namakkal dt
4. Kalrayan hills - Salem & Thiruvanamalai dt
5. Thalavadi -Sathy, Erode dt
6. Puliyancholai/Pachaimalai-Trichy dt

But out of these Ooty, Kodai and Top slip in Pollachi are much active ones I guess.

Arul Murugan

October 4th, 2009, 05:05 AM

Here is Nilgiri trekking route and maps:

If TTDC can do such things for all major trekking routes, then sure trekking tourism will improve a lot. Presently no much info. is available on many other possible ones.

http://mappery.com/maps/Nilgiri-District-Tourist-Map.jpg

Fusionist

October 4th, 2009, 08:53 AM

^^

I guess you meant Theni district. Now Madurai district is not bordering to western ghats now.

TN dense forest map: (more than 95% of dense ones are mountains)

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tamilnadu/tamilnadu-forest-map.gif

I meant trekking in Nellai district and then on to Madurai town for the temple ( not for trekking ). But yes Theni district is also a possibility for trekking routes. But I thought Nellai district is better location because of its proximity to Trivandrum where the tourists arrive.

Also the region is known for herbal tourism. It is easy to woe tourists here if only marketted properly.

Cosmicbliss

October 4th, 2009, 04:32 PM

My personal feeling is that TTDC/GoTN need to create a comprehensive well-thought practical plan, along the lines of "Tamil Nadu Tourism Mission" which would look at tourism on multiple front like:

1. Medical tourism
2. Convention tourism
3. Religious tourism
4. Trekking/Adventure tourism
5. Natural tourism (focussing on areas of natural interest)

A well-thought plan would have to look at the state in its totality and in light of the above points, work out practical ways of upgrading the state's capacity in all. For example for medical tourism:

1. To expand and upgrade all govt hospitals and create a separate section for private patients which will charge at the normal rates.

2. To create world-class organ banks.

3. To have a certification program for private hospitals (i.e grade 1,2 etc) based on their meeting certain criterias as far as beds, facilities, cleanliness, space and so on.

4. To create health cities( minimum 2000-4000 beds) around well-established places of tourism interest, like Ooty,Kodaikanal,K'kumari,Maduari and so on.

This is just from the top of my head. What we need first is a clearly thought out plan, which looks at the state in totality, targets multiple kinds of tourists and is time-bound and practical.

Fusionist

October 4th, 2009, 08:26 PM

some least explored regions with great tourism pottential in TN.

Starting from the south, from near Trivandrum, only about 140 km is the Potthigai Hills.

Pothigai Hills is one among the India's Heritage Hills and rich in herbal plants. Our main reason to trek in Pothigai Hills is pilgrimage the Saint Agathiyar Shrine.

Pothigai
http://www.mytoursandphotos.com/pothigai_hills/pothigai_hills(11).JPG

http://www.mytoursandphotos.com/pothigai_hills/pothigai_hills(33).JPG

http://www.mytoursandphotos.com/pothigai_hills/pothigai_hills(4).JPG

local culture

The Kanis once practised shifting cultivation, but most of the 16,000-strong population was relocated when the area was designated a protected area in the 1970s. The Kanis are well known knowledge about the Pothigai Hills and the surrounding hills, also they are the best guides of the Tiger Reserve area.
http://www.mytoursandphotos.com/pothigai_hills/pothigai_hills(37).JPG

http://www.mytoursandphotos.com/pothigai_hills/pothigai_hills(6).JPG

Papanasam..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Papanasam_Waterfall.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2430724918_a4dcfa2ab4.jpg?v=0

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve ( Pothigai Hills )

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ryWUU_DceHc/SYlt5lFhn8I/AAAAAAAAADw/ztKtu71kLGU/kkd-008_gopuram.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ryWUU_DceHc/SYlt_tbFk-I/AAAAAAAAAEI/tQv7MpLRJq0/s640/p9.JPG

Mayuram

Mayuram is a working organic farm, right at the foothills of the western ghats. There is an ecolodge on the property, a great favourite with birders. More than 180 species have been identified by birders from just the property and its immediate vicinity. For more information of the ecolodge, you can visit their web-site at www.mayuramlodge.com

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00006/RUSTIC1_6410f.jpg

think_different

October 5th, 2009, 12:50 AM

d6LhrhQ0nLU

Arul Murugan

October 5th, 2009, 02:19 AM

chennaidesi

October 5th, 2009, 03:42 AM

Thanks for the info.

think_different

October 5th, 2009, 06:51 PM

Totally 3 falls in that area:-
First one : Banatheertham falls

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/943/image008y.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9317/22038124.jpg

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2091/dsc006813730366.jpg

Second : Agasthiar falls
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/6194/agasthiyarfalls.png

Third : Manimuthar Falls its near by papanasam
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/8021/2569658597e4b7623bd2.jpg

Location:
Papanasam is
45 kms west of Tirunelveli,
180 Kms. south from Madurai,
100 Kms. north from Kanniyakumari and
140 Kms. northeast from Thiruvananthapuram.

Access:
Airport: Trivandrum-international Airport (140 Kms) / Madurai-domestic Airport (180 kms.)
Railway station:Ambasamudram Railway station 5 kms.
Bus stop: Regular bus services are available to near by towns

think_different

October 5th, 2009, 07:05 PM

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1175/3234.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4323/image001ei.jpg

Leo_r

October 6th, 2009, 10:24 AM

Tourist arrivals in state grow by 23% in 2008

The tourist arrivals, both domestic and foreign, increased to 646.58 lakh during 2008 when compared to 524 lakh tourist arrivals in 2007. Compared to the 29% growth rate in 2007, there was a slight drop in the percentage of growth in 2008 (mainly because of the global slump in economy), he said.

The length of stay of an average tourist in the state was four to five days in case of those from other parts of the country and a week for foreigners. While the average domestic tourist spent Rs 1,422 per day, his foreign counterpart spent Rs 4,396 per day, the minister said emphasising that the forex earnings from tourism in the state had more than doubled in the past two years. In 2006,the forex earnings from tourism were Rs 3,020 crore. In 2007, they jumped to Rs 5,430 crore and in 2008 they further increased to Rs 6,236 crore. Among the foreign tourists, 23% stayed in star hotels, 44% in budget hotels and 13% in guest and rest houses. The corresponding percentages for domestic tourists were 10%, 49% and 14% respectively.

For more...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chennai/Tourist-arrivals-in-state-grow-by-23/articleshow/4750570.cms

kannan infratech

October 6th, 2009, 02:28 PM

Manimuthar, Papanasam, Pechiparai, Perunchani, Bana Theertham and of course Kutralam can be crowd pullers.

Kalakkadu - Mundan Thurai Forest is fabulous.

Rajapalyam to Thekkadi via Shenbaga Thoppu - unexplored but exotic.

Pilavakkal dam near Watrap, Theni, Bodimettu, Kannagi Temple - good one

Kodai Palani - Mallu Crowd

Kodai Kochi - Exotic Driving

Pondy Kuli (near Cumbum) to Thekkady - Steep climb

Pollachi - Top Slip - Top Class

Parambikulam Aliyar - Engg Marvel (Hydro electric)

Ooty - Mukku Thurthi - Pandiyar - Thrilling

Ooty Gudalur Masina Gudi - Elephant Area

Ooty Sultan Batheri - Point where Karnataka, Kerala & TN meet - dense forest where the ground has not seen sun shine

Ooty Coonoor Lovedale - Rich Men Resort

Trichy / Salem Kolli Hills - Poor Man's trek

Yercaud - Bangalore's relax joint

Athanavur (Yelagiri) - Flower Paradis

VIVA TN !!!

chennaidesi

October 7th, 2009, 05:11 AM

Like Kollam or kottayam

Sampathkumar

October 7th, 2009, 07:26 AM

Like Kollam or kottayam

I Dont know abt back waters.
But Pichavaram is a mangroove forest. Which will be eye catchy like back waters.. Pichavaram is nearby chidambaram.

satishanu

October 8th, 2009, 05:17 AM

The Tamil Nadu government has sought Rs 200 crore from the Centre to promote tourism in the State, Tourism Minister K Suresh Rajan said on Wednesday.

The minister told reporters that the Centre has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore to be distributed among the States for their tourism development projects this year.

“Many district collectors have sent their project proposals, which I have forwarded to the Centre. Erode collector R Sudalaikannan has also been asked to send a similar proposal,” he said.

He adding that last year, the Centre sanctioned Rs 30 crore for tourism promotion in the State.Compared to other States, which saw a fall in the number of tourists after the Mumbai terror attack, Tamil Nadu received more tourists from other countries and States, he said.

“Last year, the state received over 17 lakh foreigners and 6.5 crore inland tourists. This year, there is a 22 per cent increase in the rate of arrival of tourists. The increase indicates the State government’s thrust on tourism,” he said. Apart from improving all hotels coming under the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), the department in the last three years has replaced all its 30 buses sanctioned during 1996-2001, he said.

“If need be, more buses would be arranged. As many as 300 auto drivers were trained in the first phase of a tourism development project and many more drivers would be trained shortly. The scheme is going on successfully in Chennai. Campaign on Tamil Nadu tourism is going on in other States and countries as well,” he added.

During the past three years, the department has won four international awards, he said.

He added that a Rs 100-crore underworld aquarium project of an Australian firm at Muttukadu was approved recently. After the Thekkadi tragedy, life jackets have been made compulsory in various tourist spots, he said.

No proposal for theme park at dam: The minster also said that there was no proposal to create a theme park at the Bhavanisagar dam.

Source: http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=State+seeks+Rs+200+cr+for+tourism+projects&artid=2kn9CB/g4Ow=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO=

Arul Murugan

October 8th, 2009, 02:53 PM

^^

That statistics contradicts with the below one what we discussed in arratai arangam thread

Uttar Pradesh also was a popular destination for three consecutive years. Last year, an estimated 124.8 million tourists visited the state, as compared to 105.5 million in 2007 and 116 million in 2006. The other states that were a hit with domestic travellers last year were Tamil Nadu (over 98 million), Rajasthan (over 28 million), Madhya Pradesh

http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=6114&sid=6

We need to wait for TN gvt website update!

satishanu

October 8th, 2009, 03:33 PM

Arul,

Here is the official statistics from Tamilnadu Tourism website

Tourist Arrivals to Tamil Nadu
7.2.1 Aggressive promotion and marketing
campaigns through print and electronic media at the
domestic, national and international levels and creation
and upgradation of basic amenities and infrastructure at
tourist spots have resulted in the increase of tourist
arrivals to Tamil Nadu as furnished below:

Year Domestic Foreign Total Growth %
2005 323.39 11.79 335.18 7.7
2006 392.14 13.35 405.49 21.0
2007 506.47 17.53 524.00 29.2
2008 626.18 20.40 646.58 23.4
(In Lakhs)

7.2.2 In the year 2007, 524.00 lakh tourists visited
Tamil Nadu. During the year 2008, the tourists arrival was
646.58 lakh. When compared the tourists arrival for the above
two years, it has recorded an increase of 122.58 lakhs in the
year 2008.

7.3 The length of stay of an average tourist in
Tamil Nadu is four to five days in the case of a domestic
tourist and seven days in the case of a foreign tourist. A
foreign tourist spends Rs.4,396/- per day and a
domestic tourist, Rs.1,422/-. A day-visitor spends
Rs.540/- per day. Among the foreign tourists, 23 per
cent stay in Star Hotels, 44 per cent in Budget Hotels
and 13 per cent in Guest and Rest Houses. The
corresponding percentages for domestic tourists are 10,
49 and 14 respectively.

The following PDF has lot of Statistical info and upcoming developments for the year 2009-10:

Source: http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/pdf/Policyt-Note-09-10-English.pdf

satishanu

October 8th, 2009, 10:37 PM

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/09/images/2009100950571701.jpg

The Palani Temple administration has drawn up a mega plan to turn the place into a heavenly abode.

This cash-rich temple, which is among the six abodes of Lord Muruga, has in recent years turned the highest money grosser in the State.

Yet, it is not on the guide book of upcountry travellers visiting places of historical interest and on a pilgrimage in the South. The temple administration has avowed to make this temple a model abode of worship and tourist destination in the State.

Theme park

The administration is in the process of establishing a theme park in the five-acre temple land, located on the Palani bypass road, on an estimated outlay of Rs 90 lakh. It has also earmarked some space for medicinal plants and shrubs. The park is expected to be opened in two months.

The accommodation facilities in the lodges belonging to the Arulmigu Dhandayudapani Swamy Temple Trust are being given a facelift and the renovation cost is estimated around Rs 3.95 crore. The administration is looking to acquiring land and creating additional accommodation facilities.

The average daily pilgrim turnout is said to be about 25,000 and during festive season, at over 5-6 lakhs.

Facelift to temple

‘We are in the process of enhancing and giving a facelift to the temple, keeping the pilgrims comfort and requirement in mind,’ the Chairman of the Trust, Dr S.V. Balasubramaniam, told Business Line.

Income

He said the temple’s income had increased steadily from Rs 42.35 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 74.77 crore in 2008-09. The hundi collection rose from Rs 9.25 crore in 2005-06 (Rs 12.71 crore) and Rs 14.99 crore in 2008-09. The entry fee collections also shot up to touch Rs 18.21 crore in 2008-09. (The temple follows the July-June accounting year).

Rope car earnings

The earnings from the rope car (introduced for the first time in a temple in the State in 2004-05) was just short of Rs 2 crore at Rs 1.99 crore in 2008-09.

It operates with four cabins on each side and with an hourly passenger capacity of 350.

The administration is contemplating a second ropeway system with higher capacity, Mr Rajamanickam, Executive Officer, said.

The age-old winch system is being strengthened and the pilgrim waiting area expanded and made more convenient.

There are 38 sub-temples attached to the Palani Dhandayudhapani Swamy temple. And the temple administration is drawing up plans to make this hill abode ‘Tamil Nadu Tirupati’.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/09/stories/2009100950571700.htm

satishanu

October 11th, 2009, 02:24 PM

The State Tourism Department is going to conduct a two-day ‘Chettinad heritage festival’ at Karaikudi from Monday to promote tourism in the region in a big way.

A major thrust of the celebrations would be to throw light on the lesser-known but grand Chettinad palaces located in and around the area by taking foreign and domestic tourists into the palaces, official sources told The Hindu in Madurai on Saturday.

Among the events planned include a massive students rally from Periyar Statue to Kannadasan Maninmandapam in Karaikudi in which folk artistes would also participate to create awareness among the public.

It will be followed by a bharatnatyam performance at the Manimandapam where all the events would be held and a magic show by ‘Yona’ from Palladam, Tirupur district.During the inaugural function on Monday, K.R. Periakaruppan, Hindu Religions and Charitable Endowment Minister, will give away the prizes for various contests held on the occasion.

On the second day of celebrations, a heritage walk has been planned from Pallathur, which has many heritage buildings such as massive Chettinad palaces. Foreign and domestic tourists along with school students would be taken in and around these palaces and would be explained about its various features, officials said.

A rangoli contest has also been organised on the occasion, in which women members of self-help groups are expected to take part. A seminar on ‘responsible tourism in chettinad tourism’ moderated by Ponnambala Desigar of Kundrakudi Mutt will also be held.

As Karaikudi was the native of poet and lyricist Kannadasan, a vocal concert featuring his poems would also be held, according to officials.

“A tourism office for Sivganga District in Karakudi area was opened only in this financial year in order to give a thrust to tourism. More such functions would be held in the future,” an official said.

Source: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article32235.ece

satishanu

October 13th, 2009, 10:06 PM

In a year’s time, tourist-friendly autorickshaws would ply throughout the State, Tourism Secretary V. Irai Anbu said here on Tuesday.

The tourist-friendly autos introduced in Chennai as part of a Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) initiative had evoked excellent response from domestic and foreign tourists, he told reporters.

“Currently we have 113 tourist-friendly autos operating in Chennai, 26 in Tiruchi, 20 in Thanjavur and 22 in Madurai. They will be introduced in Kanyakumari (18), Courtallam (28), Rameswaram (46), Chidambaram, Cuddalore, Tuticorin, Salem, Yercaud, Kancheepuram and Mamallapuram. Chennai will get another 147. Our aim is to have at least 1,000 such autos operating throughout the State,” he said. The TTDC is all set to launch mobile tourism by converting one of its 18-seater coaches into a pavilion. It will ply to the rural areas to promote tourism and create awareness among the public about ongoing festivals. An open-air sculpture museum and a sculpture park will be inaugurated in Mamallapuram next month. Next in line is the opening of Adventure Sports Park in the TTDC Beach Resort complex in Mamallapuram.

“Following the resounding success of the light and sound show at the Mannar Tirumalai Naicker Mahal in Madurai, we will start a similar show at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari by January 2010. The HR&CE Department will take care of a light and sound show at the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple,” he said.

TTDC Managing Director A. Chittaranjan Mohandoss said more boats would be purchased at a cost of Rs.80 lakh for various boathouses. An additional floor would be constructed at the TTDC hotels in Tiruchi (adding nine rooms) and Thanjavur (12 rooms) at a cost of Rs.1 crore each. A hundred rooms would be upgraded during the year at the TTDC hotels in Hosur, Krishnagiri, Kanyakumari, Udhagamandalam, Tiruchendur and Rameswaram at a cost of Rs.2.76 crore; another 200 would be upgraded over the next two years.

The occupancy rate of the TTDC hotels went up from 50 per cent in 2005-2006 to 62 per cent in 2008-2009. The net profit increased from Rs.4.09 crore in March 2005 to Rs.10.17 crore in March 2009.

Mr. Mohandoss said the economic slowdown had only a small impact on business arrivals.

The State witnessed nearly 31 per cent increase for the eight months period compared to the all India growth rate of 13 per cent: from January to August 2009, the TTDC received 5.81 crore tourists, including 21 lakh foreign tourists.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/14/stories/2009101450420100.htm

satishanu

October 14th, 2009, 11:56 PM

Tourists visiting the Kolli Hills, the ancient kingdom of celebrated King Valvil Ori, have an added attraction with the Namakkal district administration opening the Masilla Aruvi, a new waterfall, to the public.

The waterfall, located in Aariyur panchayat was earlier known only to the locals.

After inspecting the picturesque surroundings in the panchayat, Collector U. Sagayam had issued an order a few months ago to develop the waterfall as a new tourist attraction.

The district administration laid a 500-metre-long approach road to the waterfall and amenities were also created to guarantee a pleasurable experience for tourists.

Waterfall

The district administration is now promoting Masilla Aruvi as a poplar tourist attraction along with the famous Aakasa Ganga waterfall located near Arapaleeshwarar temple, officials said.

The waterfall was opened for public during the Valvil Ori festival held recently. The tourists had been instructed to park their vehicles 200 metres away from the waterfall. A parking facility was being created for this purpose, officials added.

Officials said that the administration had launched a number of initiatives to attract more tourists to Kolli Hills.Other attractions in Kolli Hills, like the boat house on Vasulurpatti lake and Akasa Ganga waterfall, were already drawing tourists in large numbers, they added.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/15/stories/2009101551610300.htm

think_different

October 20th, 2009, 01:34 AM

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will announce an eco-tourism policy in the next 15 days. The policy will help create awareness among the youth about the importance of the State’s ecology, Tourism Secretary V. Irai Anbu said on Monday.

As a prelude, Chief Secretary K.S. Sripathi inaugurated the eco-tourism wing of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) on Wallajah Road. Senior Forest officer P.A. Mani has been designated General Manager of the wing.

Mr. Sripathi told reporters: “Our main task is to select eco-tourism spots in the State, conduct rock-climbing sessions, forest visits and trekking for youth to create awareness and take steps to prevent the use of plastic products around waterbodies, parks and zoos.”

Mr. Irai Anbu said the new team would work in conjunction with existing staff to maintain serenity, develop and popularise environmental tourism, take tourists to these spots and make them understand and appreciate the work done by environmentalists and the Forest Department in conservation.

The eco-tourism wing would set high standards of ecology to be maintained by TTDC hotels, chalk out programmes for youth so that adventure tourism could be promoted along with eco-tourism, and recognise outstanding organisations and give awards every year.

According to Mr. Mani, the first awareness camp would be conducted in the Shervaroyan hills in the next few days. The TTDC would also engage the services of tribal people in this. Mr. Irai Anbu said the process of identifying eco-tourism spots that could be covered by corporate, youth and schools was on.

To mark the occasion, a brochure on ‘Waterfalls of Tamil Nadu’ was released. It highlights 47 waterfalls located in 12 districts.

source (http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/20/stories/2009102054540700.htm)

kannan infratech

October 20th, 2009, 01:39 PM

Thanks to Mr. Irai Anbu, these things are happening.

He escaped from a very serious accident sometime back.

May God give him good health & all the strength to accomplish his goals.

We expect the Govt to keep him in Tourism Dept for some more time.

We all are proud of him.

(His literary skills are also to be appreciated. He also gave a few TV programs)

saysenthil

October 26th, 2009, 03:13 PM

I second kannan infratech thoughts. Hats off to Mr.Irai Anbu. Hats off to Mr.Irai Anbu. In a village called mudhaliyarkuppam near muthukadu, chennai all the streets, buildings, what ever you see are named after him (source: independence day program in Vijay tv). TN & India can be proud to have such a son of soil. Its great that he is giving his sincere try to implement what ever ideas he gets in his circle.

It might become better if citizens like us belonging to this forum are able to discuss once in a while (via email or twitter or via media) with this sort of persons. This might help them in expanding their thoughts. Certain good ideas told by many of you would not have reached right persons. So i request you members (if you can) to communicate with officials like Mr.Irai Anbu to make it more effective. Our thoughts can become ideas. Our ideas could become future projects. And everyone of us are surely going to be mutually benifitted.

satishanu

November 3rd, 2009, 05:50 PM

This is listed under Adventure tourism in Wiki. So I am posting in Tourism updates. Looks like lot of westerners are participating (see Gallery in official site).

Source: http://rickshawchallenge.com/route (Official site)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Autorickshaw_Challenge

satishanu

November 3rd, 2009, 10:03 PM

The Chettinad belt in and around Karaikudi, which abounds with many majestic but lesser known palaces, is being developed as the next major tourist attraction for foreigners, in south Tamil Nadu.

Towards this objective, a major two-day Heritage Festival was organised recently by the State Tourism Department.

The highlight was a massive rally taken out by students and folk artistes to create awareness about various tourist places.

Efforts are on to bring into limelight more places and local events such as the ‘jallikattu’ at Siravayal village near Pillayarpatti held annually a few days after Pongal, State Tourism Department sources told The Hindu on Tuesday.

While around 15,000 foreign tourists visit the Chettinad belt annually, Sivaganga district attracts more than 20 lakh domestic tourists every year.

Officials opine that these figures could increase by at least 15 per cent more if lesser-known places are popularised.

As a first step, plans were afoot to recruit locals in 74 villages in Chettinad belt around Karaikudi who would showcase heritage buildings in their respective localities, sources said.

With Madurai and Kanyakumari already a major draw among foreigners, the State Tourism Department hopes to put Chettinad belt also in the tourist map owing to its geographical proximity to Madurai, sources said.

Non-governmental organisations have already been roped in. In their initiative, village tourism development committees had been formed at places like Pallathur making the local community a stake holder in the Tourism business, sources said.

UNESCO project

Another effort in this direction is a project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) – to conserve the Chettinad buildings.

A team recently visited the areas and studies are still under way, according to sources.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/04/stories/2009110454980500.htm

georgenadar

November 7th, 2009, 02:27 AM

hi Tenkasi is one of the best place you should visit...enjoy...
http://img.dinamalar.com/data/images_news/tbltopnews1_96169680357.jpg
தென்காசி : விடிய, விடிய வெளுத்து வாங்கிய மழையால், தமிழகம் முழுதும் தண்ணீர் காடாகியது. மழைக்கு பலியானோர் எண்ணிக்கை 13 ஆக உயர்ந்தது.வடகிழக்குப் பருவமழை தீவிரம் அடைந்து வருகிறது.

கடந்த சில நாட்களாக தமிழகம் முழுதும் பரவலாக மழை பெய்து வருகிறது. கடற்கரை ஓர மாவட்டங்களில் அதிகளவில் மழை பெய்து வருகிறது.நெல்லை: நெல்லையில் குற்றாலம், தென்காசி, செங்கோட்டை பகுதிகளில் கன மழை பெய்கிறது. குற்றாலம் மலைப் பகுதியில் தொடர் மழை காரணமாக, அருவிகளில் கடந்த 4ம் தேதி வெள்ளப் பெருக்கு ஏற்பட்டது. இதனால், மெயின் அருவி, ஐந்தருவி, பழையகுற்றால அருவியில் சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள் குளிக்க தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டது. நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு கன மழை பெய்தது. இதனால் அருவிகளில் வெள்ளப் பெருக்கு மேலும் அதிகரித்துள்ளது.

ஒருவர் பலி: நெல்லை மாவட்டம் ஆலங்குளம் அருகே உள்ள அய்யனார்குளத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர் மாயாண்டி(40) விவசாயி. நல்லூர் கிராமத்தில் பால் கறந்துவிட்டு திரும்புகையில் ரோட்டில் கிடந்த மின்சார ஒயர் மிதித்து, தூக்கி வீசப்பட்டு இறந்தார். இதே மாவட்டத்தில் மேலும் ஒருவர் இறந்ததாகத் தகவல் வந்துள்ளது.

நாகை: நாகை மாவட்டத்தில் தொடரும் அடைமழையால், விளைநிலங்கள் நீரில் மூழ்கும் அபாயம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. மீன்பிடித்தொழிலும் மந்தமடைந்துள்ளது.ஆறுகளில் உடைப்பு ஏற்படும் பகுதிகள் கண்டறியப்பட்டு, கண்காணிக்கப்படுகிறது. தேவையான மணல் மூட்டைகள் தயார் நிலையில் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதோடு, அனைத்து துறை அலுவலர்களும் உஷார்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளனர். கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் 24 மணி நேரமும் இயங்கக் கூடிய வெள்ளக்கட்டுப்பாட்டு அறை செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது.

கடலூர்: திட்டக்குடி பஸ் நிலையத்தில் பிச்சை எடுத்து வந்த, 65 வயது மூதாட்டி நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு பெய்த கன மழையில் குளிர் தாங்காமல் இறந்தார்.இவர்கள் தவிர, விழுப்புரத்தில் மூன்று பேர், காஞ்சிபுரம், திருச்சி, திருவாரூர், பெரம்பலூர், மதுரை, விருதுநகர், கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டங்களில் தலா ஒருவர் உயிரிழந்துள்ளனர்.

வங்கக் கடலில் புயல் : இன்றும் பலத்த மழை : சென்னை : "தென்மேற்கு வங்கக் கடலில் காற்றழுத்த தாழ்வு நிலை வலுவடைந்து வருவதால், தமிழகத்தின் கடலோர மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியில் இடியுடன் கூடிய பலத்த மழை இன்று பெய்யும்' என, சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

தென்மேற்கு வங்கக் கடலில் தமிழகம் - இலங்கை இடையே நிலை கொண்டிருந்த குறைந்த காற்றழுத்த தாழ்வு நிலை, குமரி கடல் அருகே இரண்டு நாட்களாக நிலை கொண்டிருந்தது. இதனால், தமிழகம் முழுவதும் பரவலாக மழை பெய்தது.

அதிகபட்சமாக தூத்துக்குடியில் 17 செ.மீ., மற்றும் குறைந்தபட்சமாக நேற்று மாலை வரை சென்னை நகரில் 2.4 செ.மீ., மழை பதிவாகியது. திருவள்ளூர், காஞ்சிபுரம் மற்றும் கடலோரப் பகுதிகளில் இன்று கன மழை பெய்யும் என வானிலை மையம் எச்சரித்துள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மைய இயக்குனர் ரமணன் கூறியதாவது: தென்மேற்கு வங்கக் கடலில் உருவான காற்றழுத்த தாழ்வு நிலை, தெற்கு ஆந்திர கடலோர மாவட்டங்கள், தமிழக கடலோர மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் மன்னார் வளைகுடா வரை நிலை கொண்டுள்ளது.இதனால், தமிழக கடலோர மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியில் அடுத்த 24 மணி நேரத்திற்கு இடியுடன் கூடிய பலத்த மழை பெய்யும். தமிழகத்தின் உள்மாவட்டங்களில் அனேக இடங்களில், இடியுடன் கூடிய மழை பெய்யக் கூடும்.சென்னையில் வானம் மேகமூட்டமாகக் காணப்படும். நகரின் பல இடங்களில் விட்டு விட்டு மழை பெய்யும். நேற்று மாலை 5.30 மணி நிலவரப்படி நுங்கம்பாக்கத்தில் 6.6 மி.மீட்டரும், மீனம்பாக்கத்தில் 8.2 மி.மீட்டர் மழையும் பதிவாகியது.இவ்வாறு ரமணன் கூறினார்.

தமிழகத்தில் மழை எப்படி? தூத்துக்குடி - 17, ஒரத்தநாடு - 15, ராமநாதபுரம் - 12, நீலகிரி - 11, மணிமுத்தாறு - 9 செ.மீ., வீதம் மழை பதிவாகியுள்ளது.செம்பரம்பாக்கம், மதுக்கூர், முத்துப்பேட்டை மற்றும் தொண்டியில் தலா 8 செ.மீ., மழை பதிவாகியுள்ளது. சேத்தியாதோப்பு, வேதாரண்யம், கந்தர்வக்கோட்டை, பரமக்குடி, திருவாடானை மற்றும் தென்காசியில் 7 செ.மீ., மழை பதிவாகியுள்ளது.சென்னை அண்ணா பல்கலைக் கழகம், செய்யூர், தாம்பரம், பரங்கிப்பேட்டை, அதிராமபட்டினம், சிதம்பரம், பாம்பன், திருச்செந்தூர், கன்னியாகுமரி, நாகர்கோவில், பேச்சிப்பாறை, இளையான்குடி, மானாமதுரை மற்றும் திருச்சுழியில் 5 செ.மீ., மழை பதிவாகியுள்ளது.சென்னை நகரில் பரவலாக 2.4 செ.மீ., மழை பெய்துள்ளது. மீனம்பாக்கத்தில் அதிகபட்சமாக 4.3 செ.மீ., மழை

chidambaram_mech04

November 10th, 2009, 09:42 AM

http://www.view360.in/virtualtour/madurai/

ecotourindia

November 11th, 2009, 04:18 PM

Extreme pleasure in starting this thread....

I am involved in the subject and is presently doing a couple of assignments -

One is rgdng eco tourism get aways from Coimbaotre and another a project on sustainable tourism dvpt plan for Anamalais / Valparai.

Also is making an asset mapping on heritage in the nilgiris.

Will post the reports once finished (in a couple of months).

ecotourindia

November 11th, 2009, 04:26 PM

kannan infratech

November 12th, 2009, 05:03 PM

The Hindu Metroplus did a great job for more than two years to bring out the less known and unknown tourism spots in the state - which are scatterd all over and accessible from all main regions.

I've a full collection of these articles and it exposes even those places that we hear for the first time....

Here is the link to all these -

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/nic/061/index.htm

Thanks a Lot.

I have been collecting onfo like this from the cuttings of Hindu. Now I have a Soft copy.

I have travelled in the regions which you mentioned as your project area.
Please PM me with more details about your project.

Thanks in advance.

satishanu

November 13th, 2009, 09:17 PM

With a view to promoting tourism in the district, the State Government has planned to notify a couple of places, including Ranjankudikottai, as tourist centres.

The government has sanctioned Rs.1.05 crore for amenities at the historical fort in Ranjankudikottai, about 17 km north of Perambalur, and the geologically significant fossil tree at Sathanur village, about 20 km from Ariyalur. The fort is under the maintenance of the Archaeological Survey of India and the fossil tree is protected by the Geological Survey of India.

Collector M. Vijyakumarsaid that a sum of Rs.55 lakh had been sanctioned to provide amenities at the fort and Rs.50 lakh at Sathanur.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/14/stories/2009111450620100.htm

Arul Murugan

November 26th, 2009, 02:38 AM

Big Temple set for millennium fete

ASI Completes Restoration Of Northern Corridor, Panel To Plan Celebrations
V Mayilvaganan | TNN

Thanjavur: A sculptor’s dream, a historian’s mine, a dancer’s vision and a sociologist’s scoop — that’s the Brihadeeswara Temple. And the Chola-era temple is now preparing for its millennium celebrations.

Built in 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, the erstwhile capital of Chola kingdom, the temple, popularly known as Big Temple, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“A committee will be formed to plan events for the celebration. Besides cleaning up the temple, we are planning to beautify the entire city. The encroachments near the temple will be removed,” said collector MS Shanmugam.

The Archaeological Survey of India that maintains the temple has just completed restoration of the northern corridor. The floor had sunk, unable to bear the weight of the stone pillars and ceiling. The ASI took up restoration work in 2006 and completed it at a cost of Rs 63 lakh. Landscaping is also being done in the precincts of the temple. “More grass instead of brick will reduce heat generation,” said an ASI official.

One of the major projects planned ahead of the millennium celebrations is a light and sound show in English and Tamil to give visitors an insight into the history of the temple. The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the project.

“An ASI team will visit the temple shortly to decide on the location for the show,” said Sathyabama Badrinath, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Chennai circle. It is likely to be in the south-west corner of the temple.

The other project is conservation of the moat around the temple which was so far under the control of Thanjavur municipality. “It has been handed over to us now. We are working out details of conserving the wall around the moat,” said Sathyabama. The moat was created in 1550, when the Nayaks used the temple as a fortress.

S Balasubramanian, an epigraphist and scholar, said, “Billboards and high-rise buildings that hide the gopuram (temple tower) should also be banned.”

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2009/11/26/7/Img/Pc0070900.jpg

TOI

Arul Murugan

November 26th, 2009, 02:40 AM

^^

Good to see more light and sound shows coming up in tourist/pilgrim places. Hope they make this permanent which will help the coming generation to know about the temple history visually with sound and light.

Marathaman

November 26th, 2009, 06:17 PM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2680/4125216766_ee7d941923.jpg

...and this Plastic Tank...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1188/988280525_c32783f293.jpg

Marathaman

November 26th, 2009, 09:21 PM

Anniyan

November 26th, 2009, 10:13 PM

http://i46.tinypic.com/2vayr2g.jpg

http://www.dinamalar.com/fpnnewsdetail.asp?news_id=5764

Marathaman

November 26th, 2009, 10:28 PM

^Haha. I bet the photographer asked the tourists to pose holding their nose ;)

think_different

December 9th, 2009, 09:24 PM

-JlQ2x8OR3g

georgenadar

December 16th, 2009, 03:08 AM

Mahapalipuram
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3984554132_55a206f9b2.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/3984553596_404aafa808.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/3983793709_424ac18dc2.jpg

Green TN
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/4142845943_5d4a19c912.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/4142845713_e06baeedbd.jpg

ChennaiIndian

December 25th, 2009, 05:14 AM

mlMzKqykrZc

1od6dybFvfo

ChennaiIndian

December 25th, 2009, 05:17 AM

ir8eva-mdM0

rsubbu.mdu

December 25th, 2009, 12:25 PM

Hi Guys had a chance to visit the Tirumalai Nayakar Mahal last week.Renovation of the Mahal is almost complete and excellent work has been carried out by TN Archeology department.Still the maintenance of the monument is not upto the mark and its high time ASI takes over the monument. Wanted to give u guys a flavor of renovated palace,find below few pics :

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12687-t8e84.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12688-q45x6.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12689-akhht.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12690-sn23q.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12691-6mzh1.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12692-b37g2.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12693-9xh5y.jpg

http://www.picoolio.com/photos/medium/12694-s4ttt.jpg

Las image has the map of the entire palace complex ,out of which the portion drawn in red color alone is surviving today.The palace complex used to extend till Koodal azhagar temple on one side,till Therku vasal on the other side and till Kezha vasal on another.

Regards,
Subbu

ChennaiIndian

December 25th, 2009, 07:13 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/25/stories/2009122551230200.htm

Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will inaugurate the festival and open ‘Semmozhi Park’

CHENNAI: The month-long annual dance festival, organised by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, will commence in Mamallapuram on December 25.

It will showcase the best of Indian dance forms to the tourists.

Performers from across country
Detailing various programmes to be conducted at the festival, Tourism and Registration Minister N.Suresh Rajan told mediapersons here on Wednesday that master performers from different parts of the country, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Nagaland, Manipur, Orissa, Gujarat, and West Bengal would participate in it.

Apart from classical dances, folk dances of various States, including “Karagam, Kavadi, Poikkal Kudirai, and Thappattam” of Tamil Nadu would find a place in the festival.

Till last year, the festival was organised during holidays and weekends only. In view of its popularity, the Department made it a month-long festival last year.

Increase in tourists
One of the reasons for this is the increase in the number of tourists and the occupancy rate in Mamallapuram hospitality market increasing from 58 per cent in 2006 to 71 per cent in the current year.

Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would inaugurate the festival and also declare open “Semmozhi Park,” created at a cost of Rs. 87 lakh and “Maragatham Poonga,” developed at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh.

The festival would begin with a mega cultural show depicting the glory of Tamil arts and culture, Mr. Suresh Rajan said.

krishnancv

December 25th, 2009, 07:21 PM

The Hindu Metroplus did a great job for more than two years to bring out the less known and unknown tourism spots in the state - which are scatterd all over and accessible from all main regions.

I've a full collection of these articles and it exposes even those places that we hear for the first time....

Here is the link to all these -

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/nic/061/index.htm

Thank you. Thank you so much for this. I've been trying to get the full collection for a long time.

ChennaiIndian

December 25th, 2009, 07:40 PM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Tamil-Nadu-publicizes-tourism-in-Mysore/articleshow/5356935.cms

MYSORE: The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) launched a publicity campaign in Mysore on Friday. Officials attached to the corporation briefed about various measures introduced in the sector to travel agents and promoters in the city. The TTDC are aiming to increase the inflow of tourism to the state by 20% through such publicity meet across India. They have organized such meets in New Delhi, Kolkata, Orissa, Bhutan, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

TN tourism secretary V Irai Anbu said, "Publicity campaign has been organized to create awareness among stakeholders in tourism sector about the new package tours introduced by the corporation. They had organized the meet in Bangalore four months ago and there was good response".

Anbu stated that TTDC has decided to promote lesser-known tourists spots and attract more youths to the state through conventional tourism. More focus is being given to adventure tourism to attract youths. The secretary said boat houses at Mudaliarkuppam and Muttukkadu have become popular among adventure-loving tourists. Besides operating regular boating, they are having wave runners (water scooter), speedboats and banana boats.

Trekking programmes in forest and hilly areas are also been initiated. Anbu felt all southern states should join hands to promote tourism.

In his presentation, tourism director A C Mohandoss said with a view to provide quick and convenient mode of travel to amusement centres and places of culturally/historically importance in the state, the TTDC launched hop-on and hop-off tour packages, viz, one within Chennai and another between Chennai and Mamallapuram.
"Special buses operate every 30 minutes. The fare is fixed at Rs 200 each and the ticket is valid for two days.

The response to the package is overwhelming," he claimed. Meanwhile, TTDC are promoting rail-cum-road package tours from places such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Here tourists are provided confirmed rail tickets from theses places to Chennai, from there they will be taken to different locations in special buses. "Tailor-made package tours are also offered to tourists based on their place of interest, besides South India tours, East West Coast, TN tour packages," he added.

The director claimed that TTDC introduced about 248 tourist-friendly autos in TN of which 144 are plying in Chennai alone. The drivers have been given training on soft skills and English language. :lol:

ChennaiIndian

December 26th, 2009, 12:34 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/26/stories/2009122653660400.htm

MAMALLAPURAM: In the last three-and-a-half years, the Central and State governments have sanctioned more than Rs.244 crore for development work in Mamallapuram, said Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday.

Inaugurating the month-long ‘Indian Dance Festival 2009,’ organised by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), he said the Centre sanctioned Rs.108.30 crore, and the State government Rs.136.25 crore. Besides, the Rural Works Department allotted over Rs.60 lakh for improving infrastructural facilities, keeping in mind the domestic and foreign tourists.

“All the development work and the Indian Dance Festival had led to a substantial increase in tourists’ arrival into Mamallapuram. In the last three-and-a-half years, Mamallapuram received 37 lakh tourists, of which 3.5 lakh were foreigners,” he said. :cheers:

Noting that the State government was interested in promoting tourism throughout the State by identifying the lesser-known tourist spots, he said that Rs.57 crore was earmarked for improving basic infrastructure in 2009-10.

Mr. Stalin also inaugurated ‘Maragatha Poonga’ in Five Rathas Street, created at a cost of Rs.60 lakh, and the ‘Semmozhi Sirppa Poonga’ in TTDC Beach Resort Complex, developed at Rs.87 lakh, in Mamallapuram. The Semmozhi Sirppa Poonga has 33 sculptures and has been inaugurated as a forerunner to the World Tamil Conference to be held in Coimbatore in June 2010.

In his welcome address, Tourism Minister N. Suresh Rajan said that the Indian Dance Festival was being organised since 1997.

think_different

December 26th, 2009, 03:52 PM

q406H1Pmrec

think_different

December 26th, 2009, 03:53 PM

fT8aKMhAjEg

think_different

December 26th, 2009, 03:58 PM

cross post from tirunelveli development
EIt5kIofGis

shekar

December 28th, 2009, 06:23 AM

:banana:Which Place Is This? Is It In tamilnad,:banana:

Thanks In Advance.

kg4129

December 28th, 2009, 06:30 PM

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00020/ARV_CHOLA_TEMPLE_20221e.jpg

The Rs. 50 lakh Tourist Complex in the vicinity of Brahadeeswarar temple at Gandgaikondacholapuram near Jayankondam, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, scientific and Cultural Organisation) world Heritage monument maintained by the Archaeology Society of India, is nearing completion.

The Tourism Department which is supervising the works will hand over the complex consisting of a museum, shops, rest rooms, and canteen to the HR & CE department that runs the temple in a month’s time, it is learnt. More than 95 per cent of the works have been completed. Once the electrical works get over, the complex will be commissioned, official sources said. The rest rooms encompass two-block one one-block deluxe set up rooms and ordinary rooms.

According to the Executive Officer of the temple M. Asana Ambikai, ever since the temple was declared as a world heritage monument during 2004, the number of visitors has been on the rise.Foreign tourists evince greater interest in understanding the grandeur and excellence of Chola architecture and sculpture that the temple features. . The sprawling lush green lawns on the temple premises that are nurtured well by the Horticulture department teems with children especially during week-ends.

The temple ranks among the top four places of archaeological significance in Tamil Nadu. The other three are the Brahadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, the Airavatesvara temple of Darasuram, and the other Chola temple in Tirubuvanam. The work on the Tourist complex located on a two-acre site in the limits of Guruvalappar Kovil revenue village commenced in 2007.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article72012.ece

Fusionist

December 29th, 2009, 06:26 PM

good to see restoration almost complete, but I am amazed how everyone conveniently forgets the horrible looking metallic steps that shamelessly spoils the architecture in many temples, be it even newly restored ones like Tanjore or Gangaikondacholapuram.

They almost look like brutal fire exits from a factory :ohno:

Why not go for ornated ones that are more kind to the architecture ?

Surely if a Chettinadu house can sport a staircase like this our temples can do something better ?

http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/ADT7971.jpg

Compare that to the newly restored Airavathesawara temple with the ugly steel stairways without any appropriate deconrations !

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/1181/549161408d448e061ecb.jpg

or..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2680/4125216766_ee7d941923.jpg

or..

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00020/ARV_CHOLA_TEMPLE_20221e.jpg

Arul Murugan

December 30th, 2009, 02:11 PM

Palani to get 2nd rope car

http://tm.dinakaran.com/pdf/2009/12/30/20091230a_003106003.jpg

Dinakaran

Arul Murugan

December 30th, 2009, 02:19 PM

Palani-Kodaikanal rope car plan again went to cold storage. One of the tamil paper few days ago wrote that from Palani to Kodaikanal the rope car will take only 30minutes. If it is kind of true, then it will bring more tourist for Kodaikanal with Dindigul-Palani-Podanur gauge conversion taking place now.

Arul Murugan

January 2nd, 2010, 03:34 PM

Chennai Sangamam starts from 10th Jan

http://epaper.mmnews.in/212010/epaperimages/212010/212010-md-hr-1/14143656.jpg

satishanu

January 5th, 2010, 04:22 PM

With the aim of giving a fillip to adventure tourism and wooing more domestic and foreign tourists, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation will launch an adventure water sports park here this year.

“TTDC has also planned to launch other adventure sports like hot air balloon, water kite flying and scuba diving at various places in the state by June 2010 with the aim of making Tamil Nadu an attractive destination for adventure sport”, Dr Achittaranja n Mohandoss, TTDC Managing Director, said.

He told PTI that a private operator Rohini Group has been granted permission to operate adventure sports at Island grounds and Mudaliarkuppam here.

“We have also launched a trekking tourism package tour to the Shervayran Hills, aimed at giving an opportunity to youth to enjoy nature in its pristine glory and to rejuvenate their minds and bodies”, he added.

The trekkers would be provided lodging at Yercaud, he said, adding that they would also be taken to Killiyur falls, the horticulture department park and then to the Shervarayan Temple, besides a boat ride.

Mr Mohandoss said TTDC also plans to set up a “snow zone” in the city, besides bungee and trampoline jumping and paintball shooting shows every summer to attract children.

TTDC also plans to introduce sailing along the coast near Muttukadu. “The boathouse and backwaters there offer the prefect setting for sailing’’.

Sailing at Muttukadu would be introduced as a private-public partnership venture, like paragliding in Yelagiri and parasailing in Mudaliarkuppam, he said.

TTDC officials said domestic and foreign tourist arrivals in 2009 touched 7.21 crore, compared with 6.4 crore the previous year. :cheers:

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/27051101.htm

ChennaiIndian

January 6th, 2010, 12:42 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/06/stories/2010010650410100.htm

MADURAI: Pudumandapam, opposite Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here, will soon have a sound and light show depicting the life of goddess Meenakshi.

Presently, tourists are not able to feast on the sculptural wonders of Pudumandapam which is choc-a-block with shops and sewing machines. Around 150 shops and an equal number of tailors have been occupying the mandapam for over decades.

As a prelude to implementation of the project under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Corporation officials convened a meeting of traders and tailors here on Tuesday. Corporation Chief Engineer K. Sakthivel said the mandapam was an ideal place to have the sound and light show. It was part of a Rs. 20-crore project to construct a parking lot, a shopping complex, lighting the Chithirai Streets, beautifying the Mariamman Teppakulam and Tirumalai Naick Palace. He promised them that they would be accommodated at a new shopping complex to be constructed at a nearby vacant site where the Kunnthar Chathiram stood.

Plea for ground floor
The traders demanded that they should not be asked to vacate the mandapam before the new facility was ready. Besides, they should be given the ground floor. Association secretary G. Kathiresan said that most of them were small traders selling utensils, fancy items, saris and textbooks. “People will not bother to climb up to the first floor to buy our products.”

Arul Murugan

January 6th, 2010, 03:36 AM

TTDC officials said domestic and foreign tourist arrivals in 2009 touched 7.21 crore, compared with 6.4 crore the previous year. :cheers:

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/27051101.htm

Recession has not affected the tourist inflow to the state. Great :cheers:

Temples, Hill stations were the main attraction in TN. We have beach asset, more attraction could be covered with these beach assets.

Arul Murugan

January 18th, 2010, 04:57 AM

Hogenakkal Tourist spot to get face lift with 5 crores

ஒகேனக்கல்லில் ரூ.5 கோடியில் வளர்ச்சிப்பணி: கலெக்டர்

தர்மபுரி: ""ஒகேனக்கல்லை சிறந்த சுற்றுலா தலமாக மாற்றுவதற்கு, ஐந்து கோடி ரூபாயில் சுற்றுலா வளர்ச்சி திட்டப்பணி நடந்து வருகிறது, '' என கலெக்டர் அமுதா தெரிவித்தார்.
தர்மபுரியை அடுத்த ஒகேனக்கல்லில் பொங்கல் சுற்றுலா விழா கொண்டாடப்பட்டது. கலெக்டர் அமுதா தலைமை வகித்தார். பென்னாகரம் டி.எஸ்.பி., பஞ்சவர்ணம், தாசில்தார் டியூக் பொன்ராஜ், கூத்தப்பாடி பஞ்சாயத்து தலைவர் கவிதா சம்பத் ஆகியோர் முன்னிலை வகித்தனர். சுற்றுலா அலுவலர் செங்கோடன் வரவேற்றார். கலெக்டர் அமுதா பேசிதாவது: பண்டிகைகள், விழாக்கள் பொதுமக்கள் மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருப்பதற்கு கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது. சுற்றுலா தலத்திற்கு வருபவர்கள் மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருப்பதற்கு, இங்குள்ள மசாஜ் தொழிலாளர், பரிசல் ஓட்டிகள் சுற்றுலா பயணிகளிடம் நல்ல முறையில் நடந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். இதன் மூலம் ஒகேனக்கலுக்கு மீண்டும் வருவதற்கு சுற்றுலா பயணிகளுக்கு ஆர்வம் வரும். வரும் ஆண்டுகளில் ஒகேனக்கல் வரும் சுற்றுலா பயணிகளின் எண்ணிக்கையை அதிகரிக்க மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளது. மாவட்ட நிர்வாகம் மூலம் பரிசல் ஓட்டிகளுக்கு அடையாள அட்டை வழங்கி உள்ளது. பரிசல் ஓட்டிகள், இந்த அடையாள அட்டைகளை அணிந்து கொண்டு, பரிசல்களை ஓட்டி செல்ல வேண்டும். வெளி மாநிலங்கள், மாவட்டங்களில் இருந்து ஒகேனக்கல் வரும் சுற்றுலா பயணிகளுக்கு, இங்கு பணிபுரியும் தொழிலாளர் உதவி செய்ய வேண்டும். அதனால், சுற்றுலா பயணிகளுக்கு தொழிலாளர் மீதும், ஒகேனக்கல் மீதும் நல்ல மதிப்பு ஏற்படும். தற்போது ஒகேனக்கல்லில் ரூ. 5 கோடியில் பல்வேறு சுற்றுலா வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்கள் நடந்து வருகிறது. ஒகேனக்கல்லை சிறந்த சுற்றுலா தலமாக மாற்றுவதற்கு அனைத்து நடவடிக்கைகளும் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு வருகிறது. வளர்ச்சி பணிகள் விரைவாக நடப்பதற்கு, இங்கு உள்ள தொழிலாளர்களும் மாவட்ட நிர்வாகத்துக்கு ஒத்துழைப்பு தர வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு அவர் பேசினார்.

Dinamalar

satishanu

January 20th, 2010, 09:31 PM

Even as Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation announced the extension of its Golden Chariot run to southern States in March, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has initiated talks on introduction of cruise tourism.

Recently, Chennai Port Trust Chairman Subhash Kumar explained about the availability of good berthing facility for vessels, duty-free shopping, banking facilities, assured security and other facilities.

“At the recent Regional Conference of Tourism Ministers of Southern States in Bangalore, the Union Tourism Minister asked us to include cruise tourism in our itinerary to take advantage of the lengthy coastline and to have a uniform road tax system,” A.C. Mohandoss, TTDC Managing Director told The Hindu.

TTDC officials have moved in this direction and held two rounds of talks with Chennai Port Trust officials and are currently involved in working out the modalities. “When we explained our plan, we received positive response from cruise operators Louis Cruise and Caribbean tour operators. We are ready to roll out the red carpet for them. We will offer them the best rate,” Mr. Mohandoss said.

As per the proposal, the cruise will set sail from Chennai to Colombo, Maldives and Singapore. The return voyage will begin from Singapore to Chennai.

“On landing at Chennai, the foreigners can take a two or three-day tour to nearby temple towns in the State and resume their onward journey by sea from Chennai to Colombo or Singapore and then by air. On the other hand, they can board the cruise at Singapore to visit Chennai,” Capt. Kumar told reporters.

The Union Tourism Minister also asked TTDC officials to introduce helipad tourism as a value-added proposition to connect important tourism destinations such as Chennai, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Madurai, Kodaikanal, Udhagamandalam and Coimbatore.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/21/stories/2010012154660500.htm

Arul Murugan

January 21st, 2010, 12:35 AM

^^

Very nice. We need small cruise on clean Koovam river also. But all those bridge crossing Koovam are at lower level. :lol:

Arul Murugan

January 21st, 2010, 02:26 AM

1000years celebration for Thanjavur big temple

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2110/01/20/21100120a_005107005.jpg

Dinakaran

kg4129

January 23rd, 2010, 04:35 PM

Thanjavur, Ariyalur boast of world heritage monuments (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article83266.ece)

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00024/LAT_13_JAN_TNJ_BIGTE_24373f.jpg

Three temples in Thanjavur and Ariyalur districts, namely the Brihadisvara temple, Iravateswarawamy temple and the Big temple at Gangaikondacholapuram built by the great Chola kings have been declared as world heritage monuments by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur built by Raja Raja Cholan is celebrating its millenium this year; the Iravateswarawamy temple at Darasuram near Kumbkonam was built by Raja Raja II and the Big temple at Gangaikondacholapuram was built by Rajendran Cholan, son of Raja Raja Cholan in Ariyalur district.

The three temples are in stone and have almost same architecture and design except for the size. While the Big Temple at Thanjavur remains colossal in all its aspects — a towering Vimana with a height of 212 ft, a big Linga in the sanctum sanctorum, a huge Nandi in the front and Goddess Periyanayaki also standing tall, Darasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram account for smaller forms of the Big temple. Despite the general concept of a chariot being pulled, the sculptures differ in the three temples.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) maintains the three temples well and has almost reconstructed the whole temple at Darasuram.

The construction of the Big Temple — also known as Rajarajeswaran Udaiyar after the great king — began in 1003A.D. and was consecrated for worship on 275th day of the 25th year of the King’s reign (1010 A.D.). The temple is 1000 years old this year (2010). This edifice is one of the finest and most exquisite specimens of the Chola architecture. Dedicated to Lord Siva, it is located within a spacious inner courtyard measuring 240 X120 m. The temple is replete with inscriptions relating to its origin and endowments and also sports a profusion of friezes from the epics.

Marathaman

January 23rd, 2010, 04:38 PM

^"It was consecrated on the 275th day....". Which date would that be? 3rd of October according to my calculation.

kg4129

January 23rd, 2010, 04:40 PM

Call to put Chola temples on country’s tourist map (http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article83659.ece)

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00024/ARV_THANGAM_24557f.jpg
The School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu has called for a combined study and view of the four all stone temples built by Chola kings at Thanjavur, Darasuram, Thirubuvanam and Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

Inaugurating a two-day seminar organised by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) here to commemorate the 1000th year of Brahadeeswara temple, the Minister said that the Brahadeeswara temple should not be seen in isolation. It should be viewed and studied along with temples of it’s like in this region. "These four temples are really great temples which offer new things every time a tourist visited them", the Minister said.

He appealed to the ASI and tourism department to take steps to bring the four temples in the tourist map of India.

Brahadeeswara temple at Thanjavur is not a mere architectural marvel but a temple that had societal connections. King Raja Raja Cholan who built the temple has said this in the inscription he made in the temple. He speaks about the contribution made by the people for construction of the temple after speaking about his and sister’s contribution.

The Minister said that steps would be taken to form heritage clubs in schools with a view to create awareness among students to preserve our rich heritage monuments. These clubs will be on the lines of eco clubs formed schools to protect environment. People’s participation and society’s involvement is very much necessary for preserving our rich cultural heritage, the minister said.

He complimented ASI for maintaining monuments in an excellent way. "State Archaeology Department maintains nearly 84 monuments in the state. We take inspiration from ASI", Mr. Thennarasu said. He also appreciated the role of media in helping the Government in preserving old paintings and monuments by highlighting them when they are in danger in their reports.

kg4129

January 23rd, 2010, 04:45 PM

A Thousand year old temple (http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article78105.ece)

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00022/10SM_LEAD1_22409e.jpg

The Tanjavur “Big Temple” (Peria Kovil) is one thousand years old this year - 2010. Raja Raja Chola I, commissioned this greatest edifice of Tamil history, and performed the sacred dedication of the temple in the year 1010, the twenty-fifth year of his reign. It was the jewel-in-the-crown of Raja Raja, an extraordinarily powerful king, a grand monarch with a style of his own, a conqueror who also understood art and architecture, and a true devotee of Shiva. It is a matter of pride that a Tamil king built the finest example of Tamil architecture, stupendous in proportion, yet simple in design. Shiva, in this temple is known as Brihadeeswara – the lord of the Universe. A gigantic stone “lingam” fills the sanctum sanctorum, sheltered by a “vimanam” (towering roof) which pierces the sky at two hundred and sixteen feet. One can gaze with awe at this majestic structure from a distance as one drives towards Tanjavur. However many times one has seen it, one cannot help but hold one’s breath in amazement. And as you enter its precincts, this temple never fails to humble you, for such is its magical magnificence. It is the perfect tribute to the Almighty, ordered by a great king and executed by his subjects who contributed to its building in more ways than one. To this day, it stands tall as a reminder of who we are in the history books of culture, art, architecture, religion, language, governance and trade.

The temple occupies an area measuring about seven-hundred and fifty feet by four hundred feet, in a fort, surrounded by a moat. It is a marvel of engineering, considering the technology of those ancient times. The towering Vimanam is built up with stones with bonding and notching, without the use of mortar. The topmost stone weighing about eighty tons is still a matter of discussion for engineers who are baffled as to how the builders lifted it to that height without the help of modern contrivances. A charming tale is told about a ramp being built from a village – Sarapallam- four miles away, from where the giant stone was pulled up by elephants! The details of the stone work of this imposing “vimanam” are representative of the masterly craftsmanship of South Indian artisans. The ‘shilpi’- sculptor, and the ‘ sthapathi’ – architect came together to create their fanciful abode for Shiva. Naturally, the shape had to echo mount Kailash itself. In its perfect geometry and distinct clarity of lines, this tower is unbeatable.

Every feature of the temple is larger than life - the monolithic Nandi, the gigantic (twelve feet high) Dwarapalakas (guardian deities), and the elegant sculptures in the niches around the central shrine. They are distinguished by an elegant simplicity in lines and ornamentation. The faces of the figures like Dakshinamurthi, and Yogalakshmi are beatitude in essence. Inside the Vimanam, there is a hidden corridor surrounding the sanctum. Rarely open to visitors, this is a treasure trove of Chola painting and sculpture. The walls of this cave-like corridor were plastered with lime and used as a large canvas for the paintings. Perhaps the subjects chosen were dear to the great king’s heart, for he was a staunch Shaivite, a great warrior who took pride in his victories, and was responsible for the renaissance of the “bhakti” movement through the spread of the songs of the saints (Thevaram). The paintings which have survived time and a seventeenth century coat of paint, are exquisite in detail and colour, and proportion. The colours in the paintings are subdued, the lines are delicate and the expressions vivid and true to life. Figures of Dakshinamurthi, Nataraja in Thillai, surrounded by celestials, dancers and saints in a celebration, and Tripuranthaka, the gigantic warrior are master-pieces of Chola painting. The story of Sundaramurthi Nayanar reaching Kailash on a white elephant is depicted on another wall. The most telling of all is the portraiture of Raja Raja with his Guru Karuvur Devar. It was Karuvur Devar the wily administrator who master-minded the building of the temple, and fittingly he has a special shrine dedicated to him in the outer courtyard of the temple. While the sculptures of Shiva in this corridor are imposing and colossal, the fine series of eighty one “karanas” (dance poses) are superb illustrations of the Natya Sastra. These figures are much bigger than the dance figures in Chidambaram and other temples. The renowned historian C.Sivaramamurthi averred that this group is unique as it depicts Shiva himself dancing.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this temple is the vast number of inscriptions on its walls which record details of Raja Raja’s reign as well as that of his successors. They reveal that Raja Raja endowed a large number of villages, money and cattle to the temple for its maintenance, daily worship, festivals, singing of devotional songs and dancing. He and his queens presented fantastic gold and gem set jewels to the temple. The king’s donations, as well as those of his favourite queen Lokamahadevi, and his sister Kundavai are recorded on a slab close to the sanctum. Among the most note-worthy inscriptions is the one about the two streets given over to the occupation of the four hundred Devadasis who were pressed into the service of the temple from many surrounding temples of the region. Their names, places of origin, the door numbers of the houses they occupied are also part of the details inscribed. From the inscriptions we gather that the king, his queens, and their relatives set the example followed by the nobility, the merchants and even soldiers, to return to the people what was collected by taxes etc., by erecting irrigation canals, hospitals, schools, granaries and so on.

One of the best bronze images of the period is that of Nataraja, referred to as “Adavallan” in this temple. Raja Raja named the currency of his reign, a coin, Adavallan.

Over time many additions and improvements took place in this temple. Sevappa Nayak, the first of his dynasty who ruled Tanjavur built the shrine for Murugan (Subrahamanya) as an integral part of the temple. It is a beautiful elaborately carved stone structure, a designer’s delight. To copy the un-repeated designs on each of the short pillars of this shrine would take an artist weeks if not months. One can just imagine how long the stone chiseller would have taken to complete each piece. Facing this shrine one can also see a “mandapam” which houses a Maratha period portrait gallery. Done as mural paintings but in the style now known as “Tanjore painting” with gold leaf embossing, the portraits of Serfoji, his queen and other royals are a feast of colour.

One can spend a whole day in the Big Temple, and still want to come back to marvel at every detail of its beauty. Many kings had built temples to Shiva on the banks of the Kaveri. Many saints have sung in praise of these deities. But there is only one temple to Brihadeeswara, and it stands tall a thousand years after a devotee-king climbed a ladder with a copper pot (kalasam) anointed with holy water from all the sacred rivers, to dedicate it to history. Our history!

Arasu

January 23rd, 2010, 06:31 PM

^"It was consecrated on the 275th day....". Which date would that be? 3rd of October according to my calculation.

It is not according to Gregorian calendar. The years/days have been calculated from the date of his coronation - atleast that is what I gather from the statement quoted.

Arul Murugan

January 24th, 2010, 06:59 AM

^^

Could be counted from Chitirai 1st, 275th day will fall in Thai 1st!?

Arasu

January 25th, 2010, 04:10 PM

^^

Could be counted from Chitirai 1st, 275th day will fall in Thai 1st!?

The construction of the Big Temple — also known as Rajarajeswaran Udaiyar after the great king — began in 1003A.D. and was consecrated for worship on 275th day of the 25th year of the King’s reign (1010 A.D.). The temple is 1000 years old this year (2010). This edifice is one of the finest and most exquisite specimens of the Chola architecture. Dedicated to Lord Siva, it is located within a spacious inner courtyard measuring 240 X120 m. The temple is replete with inscriptions relating to its origin and endowments and also sports a profusion of friezes from the epics.

From the bolded texts above, it is learned that the years and days have been calculated from the date of coronation as they have specifically mentioned the king's reign.

This is a major problem with Indian History. Indians didn't have a calendar that had a start and went on increasing year by year. The sixty year calendar that they had kept repeating every sixty years and there was no easy way to tell which year it was they are referring to. Tamil kings I think mentioned the dates with respect to the start of their reign as is the case here.

ChennaiIndian

January 30th, 2010, 06:24 PM

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ChennaiIndian

January 30th, 2010, 06:28 PM

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ChennaiIndian

January 30th, 2010, 06:30 PM

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...the other parts are available subsequently in Youtube.

ChennaiIndian

February 3rd, 2010, 05:34 AM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/rs-1-crore-ooty-lake-beautification-800

Feb. 1: For old-timers, it is quite difficult to forget the song Naan Parthathiley Aval Oruthiyaithaan in the MGR-starrer Anbe Vaa. The scenic background on the southern side of Ooty lake, opposite the boat house, which provided the platform for the first few scenes of this hit song, has over the years, with the negligent attitude of the officials, turned into a wild bush with weeds occupying the place.
Now, with the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) lending a helping hand to reclaim the lost beauty of that place and Rs 1 crore being allotted for the purpose, the process of regaining what has been lost in this area to make it a scenic park is under way.
Mr M. Prakasam, assistant director of horticulture at the Government Botanical Garden here, said the department was doing gardening work and turfing works are expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.
With flowers expected to bloom in another couple of months, this portion will be a feast for the eyes of the summer tourists and become a picnic spot. The agriculture engineering department is laying a footpath around the southern part of the lake to make it a walkers’ paradise.

chennaidesi

February 3rd, 2010, 05:39 AM

Thanks ChennaiIndian for your post

ChennaiIndian

February 4th, 2010, 05:53 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/04/stories/2010020454390500.htm

Udhagamandalam: With wintry conditions showing signs of receding, preparations have commenced in this vacation destination for the summer tourist season.

While the planting operations in the Government Botanical Garden have more or less reached the final phase, pruning operations in the Government Rose Garden are now in full swing.

Stating that the plants are being pruned in a phased manner, Assistant Director of Horticulture A.J. Jagadeesh Kumar told ‘The Hindu’ here on Wednesday that it was to ensure that all the terraces do not wear a barren look at the same time.

The pruned bushes will start blooming in about 45 days.

The civic administration is confident that drinking water would not be scarce during the coming tourist season. Sources in the municipality said that the storage in all the reservoirs was better than what was obtained in the corresponding period last year. Attributing it to the heavy rains this hill station and its surroundings received last year, they said that the needs of the residents and visitors can be met without difficulty.

As regards the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, one of the most popular tourist spots in the Nilgiris, sources said, “right now, there is no problem with the storage comfortable in the Ombetta and Game Hut reservoirs.” Wherever the conditions are dry, precautionary measures against jungle fires were being taken.

Meanwhile people in the travel and tourism sectors opined that only if efforts were made in a concerted and sincere manner can Udhagamandalam be made ‘presentable’ by the middle of March, when the tourist season begins.

The presence of stray animals, particularly cows and horses, on many of the roads is not only an eyesore but also a traffic hazard.

Arul Murugan

February 5th, 2010, 02:40 AM

Namma Tiruppur Koodal 2010 starts from today

நம்ம திருப்பூர் கூடல் 2010

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/02/05/20100205a_001105002.jpg

Arul Murugan

February 6th, 2010, 12:22 AM

Three-day ‘Namma Tirupur’ fete inaugurated

Staff Reporter

Photo: M. Balaji

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/06/images/2010020654560501.jpg

Rich legacy: A cultural programme at the ‘Namma Tirupur Kudal 2010’ on Friday. —

Tirupur: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi inaugurated the three-day ‘Namma Tirupur Sangamam’ organised by Tamil Maiyam, a non-profit organisation based in Chennai, in association with district administration here on Friday.

She called upon the youth to carry on the rich Tamil culture and tradition to the next generations without losing its true value.

The event, held at Chikkanna Government Arts College grounds, was aimed at promoting traditional arts, dances, literature and culture of Tamil Nadu.

About 400 folk artists were expected to showcase items like Thappattam, Oyilattam, Mayilattam and Jikkattam, among others, over three days.

A show featuring ‘Kangayam bull’ has been planned on the sidelines of the event at Kangayam on Saturday.

Ministers Suresh Rajan, Pongalur N. Palanisamy and Thangam Thennarasu, Mayor K. Selvaraj, Collector C. Samayamoorthy and Federation of Indian Export Organisation president Arumugam Sakthivel, were present at the inaugural function.

Ms. Kanimozhi also released the Tamil version of the booklet on tourism brought by the district administration a few months ago, at the function.

In an attempt to popularise the traditional cuisines of the country, a food festival was organised at Chikkanna College grounds.

Food items from ‘banana fry’ and ‘ada payasam’ of Kerala to Dindigul Venu Biriyani were available at the stalls.

The media sponsors of the event were ‘The Hindu’, Kalaignar TV and 98.3 FM radio mirchi.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/06/stories/2010020654560500.htm

Arul Murugan

February 6th, 2010, 01:27 PM

Namma Tiruppur pictures

http://tm.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/02/06/20100206a_002101006.jpg

ChennaiIndian

February 20th, 2010, 05:55 AM

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ChennaiIndian

February 20th, 2010, 06:14 AM

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ChennaiIndian

February 20th, 2010, 06:30 AM

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ChennaiIndian

February 20th, 2010, 06:31 AM

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Fusionist

February 21st, 2010, 04:31 PM

ChennaiIndian

February 23rd, 2010, 12:02 AM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/ttdc-franchise-pichavaram-hotel-343

Feb. 21: In order to lend the right ambience to the mangrove forests at Pichavaram, the second largest in the world on the east coast of Tamil Nadu, the TTDC has resolved not to operate its prestigious hotel at Pichavaram (in Cuddalore district in the state). It has decided to franchise it - giving way to private parties to cater to the teeming crowds that head for this eco-tourism destination.
The property would be franchised for 15 years and the bidder would be entitled to take up renovation at his expenses.
Sources in the TTDC said the corporation would find it lucrative to lease it out rather than shell out hefty sums periodically to maintain the place.
It had already franchised 24 out of 31 hotels and seven of its 10 restaurants so far and the income earned through franchising is used for upgrading the remaining properties.
Interestingly, despite the economic meltdown last year, TTDC has succeeded in improving its revenues. Its efforts to upgrade major hotels during the last two years had paid dividends in improving the occupancy levels from 50 per cent in 2005-06 to 62 per cent during 2008-09.
Presently, it has embarked on a massive mission to improve the bars at Ooty, Coimbatore and Rameswaram for Rs 72 lakh and the cottages at Hosur for Rs 21 lakh. The hotels and cottages at Krishnagiri, Kanyakumari, Ooty, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Coimbatore would also be given facelift.
Also on the cards is to establish a green car parking facility at the rear side of the Island Grounds, the venue of the annual tourism fair, for a sum of Rs 45 lakh, shortly.

ChennaiIndian

February 24th, 2010, 04:57 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/24/stories/2010022451160200.htm

CHENNAI: With good response to the trekking expedition at eco-tourism sites, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department (TTDC) plans to identify and promote more lesser-known destinations.

So far, three places including Top Slip, Yercaud and Kolli Hills have been identified as eco-tourism sites and trekking trips to these places were launched in October.

According to officials of the Department of Tourism, over 400 people were so far taken on trekking trips since the launch. A total of 18 trips were conducted and more are on the anvil. The Department, as part of its initiative to promote eco-tourism, has identified 72 places as potential eco-tourism sites in the State, with nearly 30 sites in Kanyakumari alone. In last few months, a good number of places in Tirunelveli and Madurai have also been identified as eco-tourism sites, he said. The tourists have been a composite group of nature lovers belonging to different age groups mostly from places such as Bangalore and southern parts of Tamil Nadu. In an attempt to attract people from Chennai, TTDC has begun its promotional initiatives for lesser-known tourist destinations in and around Chennai and Vellore.

“We are identifying a lot of places that needs to be popularised among public. We are introducing these places only in phases as the Department is now focussing on improving tourist amenities in such places before opening it for public,” an official said.

The trekking trips to Kolli Hills and Mudumalai are likely to be suspended during April and May, as the forest officials would restrict visitors owing to forest fires during the dry months.

kannan infratech

February 24th, 2010, 11:09 AM

Dhanushkodi is a great treasure waiting to be explored indeed. If parketted properly it can easily outdo the average Kerala beach resorts. I wish TTDC markets Dhanushkodi properly and develops is it as a premier beach resort.

I have travelled a few times by jeep over Dhanushkodi sandscape precisely for the same reason.

Due to security angle, private developments may not be allowed. It is justifiable also.

But great potential as a top class tourist spot.

georgenadar

February 26th, 2010, 02:34 PM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/4114361126_759cc01232_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/4110996657_27f4fb6bdb_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2963225781_2fdd838961_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/2964049146_3a3b587212_o.jpg

ChennaiIndian

March 6th, 2010, 02:22 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030661310300.htm

The place has become very popular among tourists

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/images/2010030661310301.jpg

Udhagamandalam: Located amidst sylvan surroundings about 22 kilometres from here, the Pykara Lake has over the years become very popular among the tourists.

The water spread extending over several kilometres had been converted into a boating facility about 17 years ago to relieve congestion at the Ooty Lake.

With the number of visitors steadily increasing, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) which runs the boat house at Pykara has been steadily improving the facilities that hare available there.

In keeping with this, it had installed a floating fountain sometime ago and on Friday it introduced a high speed boat.

According to the Boat House Manager Udhayakumar, the cost of the boat was Rs. 7 lakh.

The hire charge for three persons was Rs. 600 for a ten-minute ride.

The TTDC has been requested to supply three more speed boats.

At present, the total number of boats in the Pykara lake was 22.

ChennaiIndian

March 8th, 2010, 12:56 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/08/stories/2010030862850400.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/08/images/2010030862850401.jpg

CHENNAI: If India has evolved, then so have its summer vacations. From a time when travel was restricted to visiting ancestral homes and temple towns, it now includes a leisure trek up the nearest unspoilt mountain range or a road trip to live amidst indigenous communities.

Today, vacations are places that you go to which are not even on the map, says Gaurav Punj, founder, Connect with Himalaya.

“People today want to go on a different kind of holiday. They want to stay cut-off from the rest of the world. Urban settings have made it impossible to connect with nature.”

More women

Reflecting the changing times, Mr. Punj says women make up about 70 per cent of any trekking team he leads. “These days, husbands gift such holiday packages to their wives. I guess it suits them both,” he says.

Aparna Shekar is one such woman who is redefining the limits of a wandering spirit.

She backpacked her way through South America for close to seven months in 2008. She is an example of new-age vacations — reaching unspoilt places and cultures and staying with local communities.

“New experiences”

“I lead a stereotypical life throughout the year. Travel is a way of seeking new experiences that shake you from the routine you are used to,” she says. “I stay with people, not in hotels. It is not difficult to reach any place if you are backpacking. All the world is a backpack.”

According to her, a vacation is more than just passing through a set of monuments. Vacations have transformed from taking time off their work to earn life experiences.

“It also adds value to my work,” she says. “I work for an MNC which has a presence in 150 countries. Having visited a place makes it easy to cut through cultures and have conversation.”

Maximum fun

Arul Sekar, founder, Ecologin, says adventure experiences like hiking, trekking and camping are about maximum fun and experience with minimal comfort at low cost.

There is a lot of learning through head fakes during such vacations, says Arul, as people realise that they can push the limits and understand the value of teamwork.

“In a way, it is about going back to the basics. Lack of mobile connectivity, electricity or proper roads makes people feel closer to nature.”

Sampathkumar

March 12th, 2010, 09:01 AM

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5949/2010031150460201.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/2010031150460201.jpg/)
VIRTUAL POWER Suresh Babu, founder of www.view360.in

A year ago, A. Suresh Babu set out with nothing more than a camera in hand and the seed of an idea, to gorgeous old temples and monuments such as the Kailasanathar Kovil in Kanchipuram and the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal in Madurai.

The exhaustive sets of photographs he took there were transformed into beautifully-lit, intricately-detailed virtual tours of ancient architectural structures on www.view360.in.

And, when Tourism Secretary V. Irai Anbu saw the website, Suresh was quickly commissioned to do a similar series on various tourist locations in the State.

A variety of places

Today, www.view360.in provides virtual tours of 22 tourist spots from Ooty and Kodaikanal to Topslip and Valparai for Tamil Nadu Tourism, and has had over 2.5 lakh hits from nearly 150 countries around the world in the last six months.

The boy from Chidambaram, who loved temple architecture and always wanted to be a photographer, had finally arrived.

“I met Mr. Irai Anbu on September 5th morning, and he had given me the order by evening,” says Suresh, who works as an ad film editor in Chennai.

“He said, ‘can you do 11 locations in the next 22 days?'”

The answer, of course, was a yes. For the next three weeks, he travelled non-stop to Madurai, Rameswaram, Courtallam, Kanyakumari, Yelagiri, Kolli Hills and more, struggling often with permission to enter or take photographs.

“Invariably, I had to spend a day in each place fighting for permission,” he recalls with a laugh. “I couldn't have done it without help from the Tourism Department.”

The detailed photography, which captures 360 degree views of forts, temples, waterfalls and gardens, took time as well — just photographing the Meenakshi Amman Kovil in Madurai took him half a day, with a single courtyard needing about 28 shots. But, he managed to put them all together, including the post-production work, and the website was officially launched on September 30, 2009.

Since then, he's completed another 11 indoor and outdoor locations for the Department, including the Gingee Fort, the Chettinad Palace in Karaikudi and the Big Temple in Thanjavur, in addition to some commercial projects (hotels, hospitals, etc.) and some Chennai locations out of his own interest (the Armenian Church, the now-demolished Central Prison, etc.).

Virtuosity

Virtual tour technology has been around since 1999, and has been applied to tourism extensively in the West, which is how Suresh got his initial idea.

“You can see Paris through virtual tours; I thought, why not do the same for Tamil Nadu tourism?” says Suresh, who has been a photography enthusiast since the age of 18.

And, the ideas keep coming. At present, the locations covered by Suresh are embedded in a Google map on the homepage of www.view360.in; soon, he says, you'll be able to walk between them virtually.

“I now do virtual tours full-time, and I couldn't be happier or more satisfied,” he says, smiling.

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/03/11/stories/2010031150460200.htm

Marathaman

March 13th, 2010, 02:34 PM

^Here's a screenshot of Meenakshi temple from the 360 degree view:

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/5020/mee360.jpg

Arul Murugan

March 19th, 2010, 03:46 AM

Golden chariot tourist train at Trichy junction

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/03/19/20100319a_008101009.jpg

dkn

ChennaiIndian

March 19th, 2010, 10:36 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/20/stories/2010032051010200.htm

Tiruchi Travel Federation takes out peace march, submits representations

TIRUCHI: Members of the Tiruchi Travel Federation, a representative body of the travel trade, airlines, academia, hospitality and allied industries that seeks to promote the tourism potential of the Tiruchi region, took out a peace march to highlight the infrastructure requirements of the city on Saturday.

The Federation members marched from KMC Speciality Centre to Corporation Office in Cantonment, highlighting various infrastructure requirements for promoting tourism in the region. The rally was flagged off by K.N.Ramajayam, Director, CARE Educational Institutions. Federation president T.H.Radhakrishnan and vice-president V.Vasudevan, S.Sridharan, president, Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association, Rajappa Rajkumar, president, BHEL Small Scale Industries Association, V.Govindarajalu of Tamil Nadu Traders' Federation, K.Meena, Principal, Shrimati Indira Gandhi College, and others participated in the march.

Later they submitted separate representations to Corporation Commissioner, the Divisional Railway Manager, the Airport Controller and the Station Manager of the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL), putting forward various demands.

The Federation appealed to the Corporation to establish more public parks, a theme park and create adequate parking area. Improving hygiene in the Central and Chathram Bus Stands, exploring the possibility of setting up a cable car service between the Rock Fort and Srirangam and setting up of a convention centre were some of the other suggestions.

Night trains

In a representation to Divisional Railway Manager S.Subramhanyan, the federation pleaded for additional night trains on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Chennai section, a day train on the Tiruchi-Bangalore and Tiruchi-Madurai routes and an increase in the frequency of trains on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur section.

Airport Controller S.Dharmaraj was requested to take steps to get the Tiruchi airport declared as an international airport and open a restaurant in the departure/arrival terminal at the airport. Twenty-four hour medical service should be made available at the airport and the additional conveyor belt should be made serviceable at the earliest, the federation said. It also appealed to the Airport Controller to allow passenger vehicles up to canopy area in front of the airport.

Currently, passengers were being forced to alight some distance away on security reasons. The federation urged the NACIL to restore the Tiruchi-Sharjah and Tiruchi-Kuwait services and introduce flights to Maldives from Tiruchi.

georgenadar

March 20th, 2010, 04:48 PM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4447499558_959e4413c3_o.jpg
Location : kovalam, 30km from Chennai on ECR. -- photo taken by Samyak:)

ChennaiIndian

March 27th, 2010, 05:43 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/27/stories/2010032762260300.htm

Udhagamandalam: The possibility of adding a touch of novelty to the 2010 Summer Festival in this vacation destination would be explored, said the Nilgiris Collector, Archana Patnaik, here on Friday.

Speaking to ‘The Hindu', she said that a suggestion to incorporate a theme in the event and use it for the benefit of the town, the tourists and locals would be considered.

Efforts would also be made to rope in school and college students.

Stating that the first meeting of the Summer Festival organising committee was held here recently, she said that it had been decided to inaugurate the festival on May 8 when the Rose Show would be held at the Government Rose Garden here.

The festival will go on till May 17 at the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) auditorium.

It was also decided to organise a photo exhibition at the Lawley Institute here between May 9 and 17.

She added that the boat race would be held at the Ooty Lake on May 11 and the boat pageant at the same venue on May 13.

Marathaman

March 27th, 2010, 05:45 AM

That bridge is really ugly, what with the exposed rebar and the unfinished pillars.

ChennaiIndian

March 31st, 2010, 11:08 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/01/stories/2010040151050300.htm

‘Residential school students can become brand ambassadors of Blue Mountains'
Udhagamandalam: Having made a mark for itself in the field of education over the past about three decades, the Good Shepherd International School (GSIS) at M.Palada near here is evolving an ambitious plan to bring into being a comprehensive educational facility called the Good Shepherd Knowledge Village.

Terming the move as a natural corollary to the growth of the institution since its inception in 1977, its Founder-Principal P.C.Thomas told The Hindu here on Wednesday that the proposed facility would include a world class Business School.

Pointing out that already the management of the GSIS was running a Finishing School and a College of Hotel Management on campuses located at M.Palada and Fernhill near here, he said that the long term objective was to bring into being different levels of education under one roof.

To a query, he said that the estimated expenditure was Rs. 100 crore.

Assistance

In anticipation of assistance in various forms from all concerned including the authorities in charge of approving infrastructural projects, the management has decided to shift its Fernhill campus to M.Palada.

Adverting to the role of residential schools in promoting educational tourism in the Nilgiris District, he pointed out that this form of tourism played a vital role in ensuring the economic well-being of this vacation destination.

He opined that if harnessed properly, the students who came from various parts of the world to study here can be made “brand ambassadors” of the Blue Mountains.

satishanu

April 2nd, 2010, 03:45 PM

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00096/10_TOURISM_KVS_JPG_96321f.jpg

Domestic and international tourist arrivals in Tamil Nadu has witnessed a 25 per cent increase in 2009 with its number crossing the eight crore mark.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation has targetted a 35 per cent rise in tourist arrivals during 2010.

In 2009, the number arrivals of both domestic and foreign travellers was 8,04,06,657 compared to previous year’s 6,46,58,671, thus registering a growth of 24.36 per cent, Achittaranja N. Mohandoss, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) Managing Director said.

The number of foreign tourists was 23,69,050 in 2009 compared to 20,40,419 in 2008, he told PTI.

With the end of ethnic war in Sri Lanka, arrival of Sri Lankan tourists has also increased. The number of Sri Lankan tourists, who visited the state during 2009, was 4,23,613 compared to previous year’s 3,84,176.

“In order to increase the tourist arrival figures in 2010, TTDC has chalked out various plans including introducing adventure sports this year”, he said. The plan is to increase tourist arrivals by 35 per cent.

According to TTDC statistics, April is considered to be the peak season in terms of tourist arrivals. In April 2009, 66,37,910 tourists visited Tamil Nadu compared to 44,07,230 in the year ago period.

Mr. Mohandoss said TTDC also plans to introduce sailing along the coast near Muttukadu this year. “ The boathouse and backwaters there offer the prefect setting for sailing”, he said.

Chennai tops the table in terms of tourist arrivals in 2009 followed by Madurai district. Out of the eight crore tourists arrivals Chennai alone accounts for about 1.3 crore and the famous temple town of Madurai about 77 lakh.

Tourism officials said with a view to attracting more tourists, TTDC also plans to renovate its hotels and resorts to make it on par with star hotels. The 25 TTDC-owned hotels in the State would be renovated at a cost of Rs. 6 crore.

Each hotel would have multi-cuisine facilities with latest equipment. Renovation for Mamallapuram resort alone would cost about Rs. 2 crore, officials said, and added that all the works would be completed very soon.

They said the State is also set to have more than 2,000 rooms in star category within the next two years. The tourism department would also impart training in various courses in hospitality education this summer.

The short-duration certificate courses for food production and beverage service and housekeeping would be conducted this summer at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Taramani, here. The institute would also conduct three-year B.Sc degree course in hospitality and hotel administration.

The courses would place emphasis on management development besides imparting communication skills and personality development, officials said.

Source: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article365227.ece

ChennaiIndian

April 2nd, 2010, 05:23 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/ooty-gets-ready-tourist-flow-771

April 1: As the summer season arrived this year in the very first week of April with the Easter weekend coming up, the tourism and travel industry is looking forward to a busy and fruitful tourist season over the next two months.
The summer tourist season at this hill centre extends between April 1 and May 31 when a lot of tourism-related activities pick up momentum. A variety of shows like flower show and fruit show and entertainment activity like the summer festival and horse racing, has started picking up from the day one itself. Some of the lodges have already hiked their room tariff for the summer season.
Expressing the hope that this summer season will be very good Mr N. Chandrasekar, secretary of the Nilgiris Hotels and Restaurants Association, said that tourism was on a low-ebb after the November landslides. Now, with the road connectivityrestored and normalcy returning, the hospitality industry is looking forward to a busy season.
“Due to the Easter holidays there is an upsurge in tourist arrival this week and we hope for a huge tourist influx from the second week of April,” he added.
Meanwhile, film shooting in all the major tourist spots like Government Botanical Garden, Rose Park and the boat house has been banned for the next three months in order to stop crowding and to facilitate the free movement of tourists.

reswaran

April 3rd, 2010, 04:19 AM

Is there a forum to discuss about the various resorts in tamilnadu? Place where one can post info about the new resorts, feedback on existing resorts and other tourinsm developments.

Fusionist

April 3rd, 2010, 02:46 PM

^^ why not post it here ? Thats what this thread is about

ChennaiIndian

April 3rd, 2010, 11:40 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/04/stories/2010040453510500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/04/images/2010040453510501.jpg

Sri Aurobindo, the Yogis' Yogi from Bengal, obeying his inner command, reached Pondicherry on April 04, 1910. He called this place his Cave of Tapasya and did not move out of this place even once until he left his body in 1950. The forty years of life that he spent here was immensely fruitful for both the literary and the spiritual world. The Ashram that developed around him and his spiritual collaborator, the Mother, draws seekers as well as tourists from all parts of the globe. In fact, Sri Aurobindo was in every way responsible for putting Pondicherry on the tourist map of the world. Encarta's Tourist Map of the World is proof enough.

Tucked away in one corner of the busy town of Pondicherry (now Puducherry) is this unique complex or rather an institution, the only one of its kind in the world. It is unique because it is the one that earned for Pondicherry, a one-time fishing village, the status of a cosmopolitan city.

It is unique because herein lived Sri Aurobindo doing tapasya and writing monumental works such as The Life Divineand Savitri. It is unique because herein lived the Mother who taught the integral yoga and made the ashram a diverse community. It is unique because it houses the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

The tall wooden doors of its main building welcome us with their wide open arms. We are pulled in by an invisible invitation. We enter with the least notion that a feast awaits us.

The multi-coloured leaves of crotons, flower bearing cactus plants of different sizes and shapes, the green foliage of shrubs grown in broad-bottomed pots and a wide variety of plants that bear admirable flowers of different sizes and hues serve as a feast for our eyes.

Our olfactory senses feast upon the invisible breeze that comes laden with the sweet fragrance from the flowers. Looking around we realize that cleanliness too has a smell of its own. It is here we like to inhale more air and reluctantly exhale it. The prevalence of a mysterious silence here is music for our inner ears.

For a moment we blink, for we are not sure of where we are. The next moment we realize that we are in an altogether different world. Does Heaven look like this? Perhaps.

Like the pole-star that ushered the three Magi to the birthplace of the infant Jesus, the blossoms usher our way to the Samadhi that houses the human remains of the ‘Utttar yogi' Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Oh, how joyfully our optic nerves respond to the sight of the Samadhi decorated with a fine assortment of flowers, rearranged in different patterns at intervals.

The burning joss sticks vie with the flowers exuding their scent while disciples, admirers and tourists kneel down by the sides of the Samadhi and touch the edge with their foreheads, as homage to the Divinities. Some stand by the sides of the Samadhi and lift their hands heavenwards. A few squat under the shade of a century and more old service tree that stands the sentinel and guards the Samadhi from shine or rain. They all invariably meditate upon the Divine and pray.

We too stand in silence in the main building of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, pray to the Divine beings and pay homage to the two great souls.

To Sri Aurobindo, one-time great Nationalist leader, Pondicherry was something more than a political asylum. It was here he did his Integral Yoga and wrote his literary and spiritual works. With the advent of a French mystic, Madame Mirra Alfassa, later known as the Mother, who had followed the same spiritual path on her own, the Sri Aurobindo started took shape in order to give an opportunity to seekers in their comprehensive and world-embracing system of spirituality.

Hundreds of devotees visit this sacred place every day. During the Darshan days of the Ashram, the entire city is packed with pilgrims from all parts of the globe. The Ashram, a mini-township, hums with activities, as work is an offering by the Ashramites to the Divine. The ‘Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education' imparts knowledge to some 500 students from the kindergarten to the higher levels of learning in a number of Indian and foreign languages. Hand-made paper of high quality, perfumes, incense-sticks, embroidery, batik and marbled cloths are among a variety of things, which the different units of the Ashram produce.

Sri Aurobindo held before mankind a positive ideal for its perfection. His message can give hope to every man and life can assume a new divine value. Man is on the way to become Divine. This is what Sri Aurobindo's ‘laboratory' looks for in every man who enters the Ashram.

ChennaiIndian

April 4th, 2010, 10:03 PM

Traffic jams in hill stations during peak summer is the case in most parts of the world. Based on my personal experience, I can tell you that one of the worst traffic jams occur in the Smoky Mountains in the US during peak seasons.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/summer-paradise-charms-lost-traffic-jams-543

April 4: To think about visiting this hill station in the summer season to cool oneself may sound a good idea, but, in reality, travelling up the hills and going around the tourist spots has turned out to be difficult as the traffic managers find it tough to regulate the vehicles in this small hill town where the volume of traffic is increasing.
The traffic snarls this town experienced in the last three days gave enough indications that the traffic police will have to sweat it out in April and May, when the summer season will be in full swing here, unless they evolve some good and effective plans to regulate traffic in this little town where narrow roads and little parking space in the main town area add to the traffic woes of the locals and the tourists.
Seemingly not learning enough lessons from the past summer seasons, the traffic police struggle to regulate traffic when there is a sudden rise in traffic inflow. Sometimes they are clueless as to how to divert the traffic and yet on some other occasions they make things difficult by mis-managing the one-way traffic rule.
Accusing the police of not tackling the traffic during the summer tourist season, which affects the locals, too, Mr G. Janardhanan, secretary of the Ooty town public awareness association, said it was high time the think-tank in the police administration in Chennai chipped in with useful suggestions, expertise and guidance and held discussions with the district administration to chalk out measures to regulate traffic on the hills and find alternative places around the town for parking of tourist vehicles.

ChennaiIndian

April 10th, 2010, 12:25 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/10/stories/2010041050780300.htm

satishanu

April 10th, 2010, 01:24 AM

Same news with picture:

http://www.prlog.org/10618554-ti-cycles-in-association-with-tamil-nadu-tourism-development-corporation.jpg

Mountain biking is a spectacular adventure sport which is popular all across the world. Ooty being a popular tourist spot which attracts many inbound travelers from different parts of the world, the Hercules Mountain Bike Park in this region will add an extra feather to the throne of the queen of hills.

The Hercules Mountain Bike Park has three difficulty levels- beginner, intermediate & experts. It is built on the hilly turf of the region, which gives it its natural bumps and curves and simulates real mountainous conditions. This Hercules Mountain Bike Park encompasses many adventure elements like the teeter totter, switchbacks, sponge pits, suspension bridge and various jump ramps that would make the ride interesting and eventful. The Hercules Mountain Bike Park will be maintained and controlled by TI Cycles and will be open for tourists, schools kids and others in the region to come and experience the sport.

Source: http://www.prlog.org/10618554-ti-cycles-inaugurates-indias-2nd-hercules-mountain-bike-park-in-ooty.html

Arul Murugan

April 12th, 2010, 03:47 AM

Tamilnadu stands 3rd in the tourism

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/04/12/20100412a_001104009.jpg

DKN

Coimbatore and Salem are mentioned in this. :lol:

Arul Murugan

April 15th, 2010, 06:08 AM

1lakh people visited Hogenakal falls yesterday

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/04/15/20100415c_013104010.jpg

DKN

Madurai gilli

April 16th, 2010, 07:10 AM

Tamilnadu stands 3rd in the tourism

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/04/12/20100412a_001104009.jpg

DKN

Coimbatore and Salem are mentioned in this. :lol:

Really interestin to see MADURAI not in their list:lol::lol::lol::lol:

pdykid

April 16th, 2010, 11:22 AM

By MARGOT COHEN

TAMIL NADU, India—It can be tough to lure high-end travelers away from the most iconic sights in India: the Taj Mahal in Agra, the palaces and camels in Rajasthan, the party-hardy beach resorts in Goa and the houseboat cruises and ayurvedic spas in Kerala.

But a growing number of hoteliers aim to rattle those ossified itineraries by offering high-end comforts close to other marvels, found in Tamil Nadu state in southern India.

So today a traveler can enjoy the likes of Madurai's psychedelic Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple, one of the country's most lively and absorbing Hindu pilgrimage sites, and Thanjavur's jaw-dropping, geometrically precise Brihadisvara Temple, a Unesco World Heritage site that marks its 1,000th anniversary this year—and do it without fear of having to stay in a grimy pilgrim lodge.

Instead, the accommodation choices along this pilgrimage route include an urban resort designed as a club in the 1970s by the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, along with a boutique hotel that recalls a French provincial inn and a converted 70-year-old home with Art-Deco flair.

And for secular road-trippers fearful of being overwhelmed by Hindu ritual, geography comes to the rescue, for between the two great living temples lies the quiet dignity of the Chettinad region, home of the Chettiar clan. Here 19th-century salt merchants and gem traders, seeking to cocoon their wives and children while they were off doing business in Southeast Asia, erected grand courtyard mansions, some now open for visitors. Also on hand are antique shops where visitors can search for remnants of some formidable dowries.

The best way to start the journey is to fly into Madurai or Tiruchirapalli (called "Trichy" for short) and hire a car and driver. From there, the landmarks are within reasonable driving distance.

Plunging into the vast complex of Meenakshi Temple requires a bit of stamina. No spot has a monopoly on spectacle; every nook and cranny pulses with color and devotion, with jostling processions on (the many) festival days. Constructed primarily between the 12th and 18th centuries, it reels with 300 Hindu priests, countless vendors of temple trinkets and 15,000 daily visitors. Elephants provide an element of placidity.

Notably, childless couples come to pray for offspring. (India's infertility rates are rising, with the blame going to factors that include longer working hours and psychological strain.) Temple lore harks back to a childless king who made a series of fiery sacrifices in hopes of being granted an heir. Ultimately, the gods yielded and an infant girl emerged from the flames—a peculiar birth, the oddness compounded by her having three breasts. It was prophesied that the third breast would disappear when she met the perfect husband. Sure enough, in time she encountered the Hindu god, Shiva—and became his two-breasted wife, Meenakshi, now revered as a fish-eyed goddess for the infertile.

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/1435/awai358tamilg2010041416.jpg (http://img64.imageshack.us/i/awai358tamilg2010041416.jpg/)

Clare Arni for The Wall Street Journal
The psychedelic Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai is one of India's liveliest Hindu pilgrimage sites.

There are other sights to absorb in Madurai, including the Gandhi Memorial Museum, which contains volumes from the personal library of Mahatma Gandhi, the revered "Father of India," and a blood-stained cloth relic of his assassination. But visitors may well be tempted to enjoy some leisurely hours at the Heritance Madurai—the resort created from architect Bawa's old Madurai Club—and indulge in the Sri Lankan cuisine that spices up its otherwise quiet nightlife. Conceived as a serene retreat from the hectic temple scene, the resort offers roomy WiFi-equipped villas, ancient banyan trees and a pristine swimming pool entered by gently descending steps—a contemporary take on traditional temple architecture. The architect's signature reliance on local materials is reflected in jagged granite pillars and paving stones salvaged from a famed local thread factory, Madura Coats.

It's not the only choice in Madurai. For those who prefer more traditional British colonial architecture (also with WiFi) and hilltop cocktails, a venerable Taj hotel beckons. (Long known as the Taj Garden retreat, it is newly renamed as the Gateway Hotel Pasumalai Madurai.)

Moving on to Chettinad requires a two-hour drive. A good place to settle is the Bangala hotel in the central hub of Karaikudi. Opened in 1919 as a genteel men's club, complete with a tennis court, it fell on hard times in the 1960s—but renovations commenced in 1999, with further expansion in December 2009 to 25 rooms. Today, this cozy boutique hotel offers floral cotton bedspreads and rattan recliners poised in shady tiled corridors (the perfect spot to peruse the memoirs of the 75-year-old owner, Meenakshi Meyyappan). It also enjoys a growing reputation for elaborate Chettinad meals, with specialties ranging from chicken pepper fry to tamarind prawns. While Chettinad food bears a reputation as of one of India's most spicy, throat-burning cuisines, Ms. Meyyappan rejects that as "media hype" and says her establishment's dishes are finely calibrated with coriander, cinammon and fenugreek.

The hotel can arrange a detailed tour of the surrounding mansions, some of them linked to the family of Ms. Meyyappan. The traders showed off their wealth with these homes, adorning them with materials such as Burmese teak, Italian marble and Belgian glass. "They got the best products from all over the world, but translated them into something that is essentially Tamil—a home for the extended family," says Nicole Bolomey, a New Delhi-based program specialist at Unesco, which is supporting efforts to preserve knowledge of Chettinad architecture, water-harvesting and village planning. In February, for example, a squad of French and Indian university students fanned out to map the most distinctive mansions in the area.

Many Chettiar-clan fortunes collapsed in the 1950s and '60s, the businesses hit by such changes as the loss of the once-thriving gem trade in newly independent Burma, and thousands of these properties fell into disrepair. Some heirs moved overseas. But with locals eager to host more tourists, more restoration efforts are now under way.

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7702/awai359tamilg2010041416.jpg (http://img704.imageshack.us/i/awai359tamilg2010041416.jpg/)

Clare Arni for The Wall Street Journal
The nonspiritual side of Madurai includes street food.

Typically, the outer verandah in these vintage mansions was reserved for male business activity, leaving women to use the side or back entrances. A series of inner courtyards was lined with small rooms, most often used for caches of jewelry and household utensils. Plastered walls, heavy carved teak doors, and colorful patterned tiles from Chettinad's famed Athangudi village all contributed to the striking interior design.

A local guide recounts that the Chettiar women wore toe-rings engraved with waves, symbolizing the overseas trading habits of their husbands. (They were also known to remove these clattering toe rings on occasion, to avoid alerting the household that they were abandoning the communal sleeping area to steal a few intimate moments with a visiting spouse.)

In contrast to the living traditions on display at the temple in Madurai, these Chettinad homes are largely abandoned—save for weddings, which can still draw families together from different corners of India and the globe. The rest of the time, they're typically inhabited by a few elderly family members and servants.

Yet the village of Kanadukathan seems to be experiencing a mini-revival. French and German tourists have discovered its Art Deco Visalam hotel, a 70-year-old converted house with plenty of vintage photographs and a sleek swimming pool. It was built as a wedding gift for a young woman who never actually lived here, though she did store her dowry items behind locked doors. Guests may take cooking lessons, though spice levels have been adjusted for foreign palates.

For a more lived-in feeling, visitors can follow the rather strange sign "Genetically Chettinad" to find the Chettinadu Mansion and its 73-year-old owner, A. Chandramouli. He raised funds to restore the family home by allowing Tamil crews to shoot a few feature films here. "Then we said, thank you, movie-wallahs!" he recalls. The money went to repair the leaky ceiling, eradicate the termites and scrub the moss from the terraces. While his 12 guest rooms are not as big and posh as those at Visalam, the place certainly has character.

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6453/awai360tamilg2010041416.jpg (http://img535.imageshack.us/i/awai360tamilg2010041416.jpg/)

Clare Arni for The Wall Street Journal
Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur bowls over many visitors with the spiritual force of its architecture.

From here, it's a two-and-a-half hour drive to the Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur—one of the most aesthetically thrilling sites in all of India. Its subtle earth tones contrast with the lurid colors at the Meenakshi temple, and many visitors find it hard to resist the humbling, spiritual force of the architecture (though superstition holds that Tamil politicians should avoid the temple if they want to hang on to power). Unfortunately, few are permitted to view the original Chola murals, which are in fragile condition. But special music and dance performances are planned into early next year to commemorate the temple's millennium.

Thanjavur can be seen on a stop along the way from Karaikudi to Kumbakonam, or as a day trip from Kumbakonam, site of a more intimate temple experience. Darasalam temple, another World Heritage site, is known for its exquisite carved detail. It has attracted special attention lately from officials at Archeological Survey of India, who have supervised repairs of cracked pillars and ceilings in anticipation of more tourists this year.

Indeed, two nearby resorts are determined to broaden the market. The Mantra, which just opened, serves only vegetarian food and asks guests to abstain from alcohol, in line with orthodox Hindu Brahmin preferences. "Tourists want to follow all the rules and regulations that local people follow," reasons V. Kannan, the resort manager. An upper-caste touch is also evident at the recently expanded Paradise Resort, where the cottages are painted rust and white, colors that signify a Brahmin presence. In the dining room, however, anything goes—including a cold beer and a hot fish curry.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303950104575185354099298516.html?mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_Travel

think_different

April 19th, 2010, 02:34 AM

CHENNAI: Three years ago, Tammy Nenon visited Chennai for the first time and happened to stop by and see the dance festival at Mamallapuram. And he was hooked. He's been coming back every January to watch the classical and folk dances performed as part of the annual dance festival.

People such as Tammy have been swelling the numbers of tourist arrivals in the state. In 2009, 23.69 lakh foreign tourists
visited the state, according to Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, a rise of more than 3.28 lakh over 2008's figures of 20.40 lakh foreign tourists.

The season in the state is between October and January, and Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, US, UK and France are the top six countries from where tourists arrive. Tourists from US, UK and France make repeat visits to Tamil Nadu, many returning to visit places they could not see during earlier visits, TTDC officials said.

"Increase in investments, quality hospitals and cultural ties are the reasons that bring tourists to Tamil Nadu. Chennai acts as a gateway. Even business travellers spend some time relaxing before they fly out," said a tourism department official.

There has been a steady rise in foreign tourist arrivals over the last five years. A study done by a trade organisation has ranked the state third, after Maharashtra and Delhi, in terms of arrivals in 2009.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Chennai/More-foreign-tourists-fly-to-TN-for-culture-healthcare/articleshow/5829906.cms

satishanu

April 24th, 2010, 01:09 AM

http://img.dinamalar.com/data/more_pic_gallery/toplarge_69511049986.jpg

ChennaiIndian

April 24th, 2010, 03:11 AM

^^ Fat and tanned skiers. :lol:

Sampathkumar

April 24th, 2010, 03:52 PM

உடுமலை,ஏப்.23: சுற்றுலா தலங்களில் ஏழைகளின் ஊட்டி என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது உடுமலைப்பேட்டை. இதை அடுத்துள்ள திருமூர்த்திமலை, அமராவதி அணை மற்றும் சின்னார் வனப்பகுதி ஆகியவை இந்த ஆண்டில் கோடை விடுமுறைக்கு தயாராகி வருகிறது.

உடுமலையில் இருந்து சுமார் 21 கிமீ தொலைவில் உள்ள திருமூர்த்திமலை கோவை மாவட்டத்தில் மிகப் பெரிய சுற்றுலாதலமாகும். மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலைகள் சூழ இங்கு அமைந்துள்ள அமணலிங்கேஸ்வரர் கோவில் தமிழக அளவில் மிகவும் பிரசித்தி பெற்றது.

சிவன், பிரம்மா, விஷ்ணு என மும்மூர்த்திகள் ஒருங்கே அமைந்துள்ள இந்தக் கோவிலுக்கு தமிழகம் முழுவதும் இருந்து ஆண்டு முழுவதும் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான பக்தர்கள் மற்றும் சுற்றுலா பயணிகள் வந்து செல்கின்றனர்.

இங்குள்ள திருமூர்த்தி அணையில் ரம்மியமான படகு போக்குவரத்து சுற்றுலா பயணிகளுக்கு பெரிய விருந்தாகும். இதுபோக குழந்தைகளுக்கு அழகிய நீச்சல் குளமும், தமிழ்நாடு மீன் வளர்ச்சி கழகத்தால் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள வண்ண மீன் பூங்காவும் மிகப் பெரிய பொழுது போக்கு அம்சங்களாக உள்ளன.

குறிப்பாக மலை அடிவாரத்தில் இருந்து ஆயிரம் அடிக்கு மேல் மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலைகளுக்கு இடையில் அமைந்துள்ள மூலிகை குணம் உள்ள பஞ்சலிங்கம் அருவியில் குளிப்பதற்காகவே பிற மாவட்டங்கள் ஏன் பிற மாநிலங்களில் இருந்து கூட சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள் இங்கு வருவது வழக்கம். முக்கியமாக திருமூர்த்தி அணையை ரசிப்பதற்காகவும் ஏராளமானோர் அன்றாடம் இங்கு வருகின்றனர்.

இந்த ஆண்டு கோடை விடுமுறை துவங்கி விட்ட நிலையில் தற்போது சுற்றுலா பயணிகளின் எண்ணிக்கை நாளுக்கு நாள் உயர்ந்து கொண்டே வருகிறது.

அமராவதி அணைப் பகுதி: உடுமலையில் இருந்து சுமார் 20 கிமீ தொலைவில் உள்ள அமராவதிஅணை சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகளை மிகவும் அதிக அளவில் கவர்ந்து

வருகிறது. அணைக்கு முன்பு ரம்மியமாக அமைந்துள்ள அழகிய பூங்காவும், சிறுவர் பூங்காவும் சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகளை கவரும் விதத்தில் உள்ளன. முக்கியமாக இங்குள்ள முதலைப் பண்ணை சுற்றுலா பயணிகளை ஆச்சர்யத்தில் மூழ்க வைக்கும் ஒரு அம்சமாக விளங்கி வருகிறது. ஒரு வயது முதல் 30 வயதுள்ள பல்வேறு வகையான முதலைகள் இங்கு வளர்க்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

மேலும், தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள ஒரே ஒரு இராணுவ பள்ளியும் அமராவதி நகரில்தான் அமைந்துள்ளது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

சின்னார் வனப்பகுதி: அமராவதி நகரில் இருந்து சுமார் 10 கிமீ தொலைவில் அமைந்துள்ளது சின்னார் வனப் பகுதி. தமிழக-கேரள எல்லையில் அமைந்துள்ளது. இந்த சிóன்னார் வனப் பகுதியில் யானைகள், சிறுத்தைகள், மான்கள், வரையாடுகள் என அரிய வகை வன விலங்குகள் வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றன. வன விலங்குகளை அவைகள் வாழும் பகுதிலேயே அதாவது வனத்திலேயே நேரில் பார்த்து ரசிக்கும் சூழ்நிலைகள் இங்குள்ளன. அதற்காக உடுமலை மற்றும் அமராவதி வனப் பகுதிலேயே வாட்ச் டவர்கள் (பார்வை மாடம்) அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இங்கிருந்து கொண்டு வன விலங்குகளை அருகிலேயே பார்த்து ரசிக்கலாம். மேலும் வனப் பகுதிக்குள் வனத்துறையின் அனுமதியுடன் ட்ரக் கிங் செல்லலாம். கொள்ளை கொள்ளும் இயற்கையின் அழகை பார்த்து ரசிக்கலாம்.

http://www.dinamani.com/edition/story.aspx?SectionName=Edition-Coimbatore&artid=232046&SectionID=136&MainSectionID=136&SEO=&Title=ரம்மியமான%20சுற்றுலா%20தலமாகிறது%20உடுமலை!

saysenthil

April 25th, 2010, 02:48 PM

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6892/1002327t.th.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/i/1002327t.jpg/)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9789/1002328s.th.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/i/1002328s.jpg/)

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4605/1002332f.th.jpg (http://img441.imageshack.us/i/1002332f.jpg/)

Sampathkumar

April 26th, 2010, 05:57 AM

THANJAVUR: Tourist flow to Art Gallery here is more this year compared to last if the number of visitors in the last three months is any indication.

According to S.Venkatraman, the Curator of the gallery which houses hundreds of Chola period icons, stone sculptures and marble sculptures, 4,531 foreign tourists visited in January this year compared to 4,211 in January last year.

In February this year, 4,830 foreign tourists visited compared to 3,950 last year. In March this year, 2,882 foreign tourists visited the gallery compared to 2,356 last year.

Domestic inflow

On the domestic front also tourist flow is high this year. A total of 17,689 domestic tourists visited the gallery in January this year compared to 15,409 in January last year. The number is 19,552 in February this year compared to 15,127 last year.

In March 18,310 tourists visited the gallery compared to 17,489 last year.

In 2008, the total number of tourists who visited the art gallery is 1,78,889. In 2009, it touched 2,93,388.

In the last 14 years, maximum number of tourists _ 2,89,000 _ visited the gallery in 1995 when world Tamil conference took place at Thanjavur and the second highest arrival was in 2009, ie., 1,93,388, Venkatraman said.

A facelift has been given to the art gallery recently.

Periodical cleaning of panchaloha and bronze idols in the art gallery is taking place.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/26/stories/2010042660480800.htm

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 11:41 AM

cruwhRpBcwo

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 11:47 AM

Mahabalipuram,Tamilnad.

MSiaPVpNkpU

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 11:51 AM

University of Madras.Chennai

GXAJJDQ3-dM&feature=related

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 12:04 PM

Rameshwaram,Tamilnad
dSbS-GI7En8&feature=channel

Vivekananda Rock Memorial,Kanyakumari.
pJ_gtn4kKvI&feature=related

Chettinad Palace,Karaikudi.
Qg6d_C5vgXI&feature=channel

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 01:28 PM

Meenakshi Temple,Madurai

AUSV-pWKPRI

Trichy Rock Fort,Trichy

G9uQ2SZyOeI

Pichavaram Mangrove Forests,Tamilnad

Zbwn2wtqOZM

Vellore Fort,Vellore,Tamilnad

1-Po51PNMtQ&feature=channel

shekar

April 28th, 2010, 02:53 PM

Kodaikanal

otwNrMxob2U

Yercaud

ItBcuw-nAmg

thillai_selvan

April 29th, 2010, 05:46 AM

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/04/29/20100429a_005107004.jpg

shekar

April 30th, 2010, 07:47 AM

Ooty

http://travel-agent.in/images/Trip-to-Ooty.jpg

shekar

April 30th, 2010, 08:03 AM

Valparai,Tamilnad

http://valparaitourism.com/images/banner.jpg

http://valparaitourism.com/images/tourist_banner.jpg

shekar

April 30th, 2010, 08:22 AM

Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur , Recently This Historical Temple Completed 1000yrs.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6103/image0048q.jpg

allaboutmadurai

April 30th, 2010, 01:43 PM

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/263/meenakshi.jpg

Visit http://allaboutmadurai.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25 for more pictures

ChennaiIndian

May 1st, 2010, 04:28 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/01/stories/2010050161390300.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/01/images/2010050161390301.jpg

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Friday inaugurated ‘Kodai Thiruvizha', a festival of food and fun, organised by the Department of Tourism, at Island Grounds.

The Chief Minister appreciated Ayyan Aruvi, an artificial waterfall that is bound to remind visitors of Courtallum. The Tourism Department has also created a replica of the Taj Mahal.

Talking to reporters, Tourism Minister N. Suresh Rajan said the 45-day festival would attract both adults and children. Asked whether the government would get returns on the investment, he said “certainly we will make profits.”

...

ChennaiIndian

May 1st, 2010, 04:29 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/01/stories/2010050163360800.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/01/images/2010050163360801.jpg

CHENNAI: This summer, residents of Chennai can take a stroll on the “London Bridge”.

A huge replica of the bridge greets the visitors to the ‘London Shopping Festival' which opened in the city on Friday. Information Minister Parithi Ellamvazhuthi inaugurated the consumer exhibition organised by the National Consumer Fair at St. George's School on Poonamallee High Road.

With over 300 stalls, the exhibition offers a wide array of products under one roof. From automobiles, furniture, electronics to fitness equipment, kitchen products, visitors could pick their choice from various leading brands showcased.

...

ArunKumarB

May 9th, 2010, 10:22 AM

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2547/yercaud.jpg

think_different

May 10th, 2010, 03:37 AM

Udhagamandalam: Helicopter services are likely to be introduced in this holiday destination soon. This was announced by Khadi Board Minister K. Ramachandran, who was addressing the valedictory function of the two-day 9th Rose Show organised by the Department of Horticulture at the Centenary Rose Park here on Sunday.

He said the district administration had forwarded a request from a private company for operation of helicopter services and clearance from the authorities concerned had been sought.

source (http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/10/stories/2010051058190100.htm)

ArunKumarB

May 10th, 2010, 08:31 AM

VELLORE: Minister for Law, Courts and Prisons Durai Murugan laid the foundation for the Rs.6.5-crore rope car for the Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Sholinghur, at a function held under the presidentship of Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) K.R. Periyakaruppan at the foothills in Sholinghur on Sunday.

The rope car will be of the mono cable fixed grip double reversible zig back ropeway system, unlike the detachable rope car laid for the Dhandayudapani Temple in Palani.

When completed, the journey by rope car would take four minutes as against the 45 to 60 minutes it takes to climb the 1,305 steps to reach the temple. It will have three compartments , with each compartment accommodating four people.

The rope car will be capable of transporting 300 persons per hour.

Mr. Periyakaruppan said the rope car would be completed within a year.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/10/stories/2010051060120500.htm

ArunKumarB

May 10th, 2010, 02:21 PM

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/573/yercaudsummerfestival.jpg

ChennaiIndian

May 14th, 2010, 10:52 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/15/stories/2010051550240200.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/15/images/2010051550240201.jpg

Udhagamandalam: With all roads in this hill station leading to the Government Botanical Garden where the famed band of the Madras Regimental Centre presented numbers which catered to the taste of the young and the aged, the curtain went up on the three-day 114th Annual Floral Carnival on Friday. The venue wore a picture postcard look.

By way of showcasing the recent achievements of the Government and reminding the people that the World Classical Tamil Conference at neighbouring Coimbatore is round the corner, the organisers had put up a huge replica of the new Secretariat made of carnations and a tastefully decorated lookalike of the conference logo which featured a statue of saint-poet Thiruvalluvar.

While they were the cynosure of all eyes a flower mound nearby and a vase made of carnations in the heart of the main lawn vied for attention.

After a gap of a few years bonsai plants returned this year to thrill visitors.

It was said that henceforth they would be on show round the year.

While a collection of bird of paradise caught one's eye in the exhibition section, flowers like tuberous begonia, heliconium, inca marigold, petunia and pansy were among those most photographed.

While filing past the display many visitors told The Hindu that they were lucky to see such a display in a picturesque venue.

Among the stalls put up that of the Department of Horticulture displayed the entire horticultural wealth of the state.

A good part of the GBG was illuminated.

...

ChennaiIndian

May 14th, 2010, 10:53 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/15/stories/2010051555110300.htm

Udhagamandalam: Tourist spots in the State which are under the control of the Horticulture Department will be raised to international standards, said Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugham.

Inaugurating the 114th Annual Floral Carnival (AFC) at the Government Botanical Garden (GBG) here on Friday, he said that in keeping with the move the GBG will be improved at a cost of Rs. 21.29 crore.

Stating that the Government Rose Garden (GRG) here will also be made more attractive at a cost of Rs. 13.70 crore, he said that the Sim's Park in Coonoor would be beautified by spending Rs. 13.73 crore.

Pointing out that the objective was to attract more tourists, he said that a botanical garden of global standard was in the process of being created along the Cathedral Road in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.86 crore. A garden will come up at Yercaud at a cost of Rs. 11 crore.

Adverting to a proposal to construct a cultural centre here, he said that a piece of land extending over about 85 cents belonging to the Agricultural Engineering Department had been handed over to the administration.

Referring to the significance of the Nilgiris district, Mr. Arumugham said that it was the first biosphere reserve and also contributed 30 per cent to the State's power grid.

...

ChennaiIndian

May 16th, 2010, 10:05 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/17/stories/2010051754920400.htm

CHENNAI: To provide maximum benefit to the tourists during their short stay at Kodaikanal, the Dindigul District Administration has planned new initiatives such as tree top stay homes, elephant safari, trek through forest and spice circuit, paragliding, butterfly park and hop-on hop-off tours.

Dindigul Collector M. Vallalar has written letters to the Forest department officials seeking permission to introduce elephant safari, forest trek and for erecting tree top stay homes; to Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation for hop-on hop-off tours and to horticulture department for rose garden.

“Usually, tourists spend around two-three days. Since Kodaikanal has favourable season for six months, we want tourists to spend some quality time. Elephant Safari will kick off soon.

It will be introduced near Pillar Rock as wild elephants are spotted near Mannavanur village.

The next in line is trek inside the forest to create awareness about preserving the environment. We will take tourists three to four km inside the forest.

Besides trek along spice circuit is also planned,” Mr. Vallalar told The Hindu.

According to him, it would take some more time to erect the tree-top stay homes, as the forest officials are in the process of identifying the right trees.

As per the proposal, around five huts with a small pantry would be erected for honeymoon couples. These huts will be placed about two metres from the ground.

...

ChennaiIndian

May 16th, 2010, 10:07 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/17/stories/2010051755790500.htm

It can accommodate pilot plus four persons

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/17/images/2010051755790501.jpg

CHENNAI: To provide more thrill to the visitors, the organisers of Kodai Thiruvizha on Sunday introduced the hot-air balloon at Island Grounds on Sunday.

It took more than two hours for pilots – Frank Wechter and Imo Chaoba Singh – to set up the multi-coloured balloon from Germany due to the windy weather, even as thousands of visitors gathered at the venue and stood in awe silence till 8 p.m. The hot air balloon will be a regular feature and will be operated after 5.30 p.m. daily depending upon the wind conditions.

Commissioned on April 30, the 45-day Kodai Thiruvizha has attracted till date over 2.5 lakh visitors, of which Sunday alone accounted for 37,000 visitors. It has several water amusements, food courts, shopping centres and water fall. The hot-air balloon is the latest addition.

Talking to The Hindu, Enthrall Communications official said “this was not announced earlier, as we wanted to give some surprise to our visitors. The hot-air balloon can accommodate pilot plus four persons. We will allow them to use it for 10 to 15 minutes and it will be lifted up to 100 feet. The charge per person is Rs.100.”

“The balloon is 75 feet tall (equivalent to 10 storeyed building). Last three days, Chennai had perfect condition for the launch. Ideally, we can fly the balloon if the wind speed is around 7 miles per hour. But today it is around 14 miles per hour. Today, we just set up the facility and we will enable visitors to have a feel of it from Monday,” Mr. Wechter said.

Mr. Singh said that they cannot fly the hot air balloon beyond Island Grounds as they were not able to get permission from concerned authorities. The balloon will be operated by us on rotational basis.

...

kannan infratech

May 18th, 2010, 01:35 PM

I have been trekking Kodai hills (Palani Hill Ranges) which connects Palani and Kerala ranges. Thanks to my mentor Mr. J.Ramanan - Ex REC Trichy (NIT-T) Architecture Professor and currently a leading Architect in Trichy.

The ranges are fabulous and there are quite a lot of scenic spots.

TN Govt has been neglecting the same for some reason or other (may be for the better so that the normal polluting tourists do not venture into these areas).

If TNTDC can follow the Eco Tourism model of Kerala in consultation with the local Collector, it would be fabulous.

ArunKumarB

May 20th, 2010, 10:34 AM

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has drawn up a programme to focus special attention on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) during the ongoing Summer Festival being organised by the district administration and the Department of Tourism here. According to a press note issued by the Deputy General Manager (Tourism), IRCTC, South Zone, L. Ravikumar as a tourist-friendly initiative the IRCTC will arrange for a special run of the ‘toy train' between Ooty and Coonoor on Friday.

It will leave Ooty by 1.20 p.m. and reach Coonoor at 2.20 p.m.

On the return journey it will leave Coonoor at 3.15 p.m. and reach Ooty at 4.15 p.m.

Photo sessions

Arrangements for photo sessions with the toy train as the back drop have been made at the Ooty and Coonoor railway stations. Chocolates will be distributed among children at the Ooty station. A lucky draw will be conducted among the passengers travelling by the NMR from Mettupalayam to Ooty on May 20 and 21.

Stating that the coupons distributed to the bonafide passengers can be dropped in a collection box of the IRCTC which will be kept at the Ooty railway station, he said that tourism related prizes will be given.

The NMR's World Heritage status will be promoted in different ways among the tourists.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/20/stories/2010052054400700.htm

Arul Murugan

May 21st, 2010, 04:47 PM

Chettinad Palace to become as International tourist attraction

http://tm.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/05/20/20100520a_002105004.jpg

Dinakaran

Arasu

May 21st, 2010, 05:03 PM

^^ laudable effort to promote local culture and tourism.

shekar

May 31st, 2010, 02:15 PM

Fort Dansborg/Tranquebar

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8918/800pxfortdansborg.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Dansborg_Fort.jpg/800px-Dansborg_Fort.jpg

source:wikipedia

shekar

May 31st, 2010, 02:15 PM

Darasuram.
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/4360/800pxhorsedrawnchariotd.jpg

Sorce:wikipedia

pdykid

May 31st, 2010, 05:03 PM

^^
Video about Airavatesvara Temple - Darasuram

http://dai.ly/d4yWqR

saysenthil

June 1st, 2010, 01:49 PM

^^

Where is it located?? It looks fantastic!!

pdykid

June 1st, 2010, 03:16 PM

^^

Where is it located?? It looks fantastic!!

Airavatesvara Temple (UNESCO World Heritage monument)
Darasuram or Dharasuram (Tamil:தாராசுரம்) is a panchayat town located 3 kilometres from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India

» By Air - The nearest airport is at Trichy.

» By Rail - Darasuram is accessible by train from most cities of Tamil Nadu and Trichy is an important railhead.

» By Road - Darasuram is accessible by road from most cities of Tamil Nadu. It is 5 kms drive from Kumbakonam and about 35 kms from Thanjavur.

saysenthil

June 2nd, 2010, 11:45 AM

Thkx pdykid.... I would lov to visit that place... it looks fabulous!!

ArunKumarB

June 3rd, 2010, 05:40 AM

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation has announced introduction of two-day visit to Rameswaram on first and third Tuesdays.

A Corporation communication stated on Tuesday that tourists would be taken to Rameswaram by train. On Thursday evening they would be brought back to Chennai by Rameswaram Express.

On the first day, the tourists would visit the Ramanathaswamy temple, Pamban bridge, Dhanushkodi and the Kothandaramaswamy temple.

On the second day they would be taken to Thiruppullani, Uthirakosamangai and Deveipattinam.

On the first day night, the tourists would be provided accommodation at the TTDC's Hotel Tamil Nadu at Rameswaram.

The fare for the trip is Rs.1,900 per person.

The charges include transport of tourists, accommodation, restaurant and fare for autorickshaw to take them to various places.

For details visit TTDC website: www.tamilnadutourism.org and the e-mail is: ttdc@vsnl.com

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/03/stories/2010060358990800.htm

ChennaiIndian

June 6th, 2010, 11:15 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/eco-tourism-push-emulate-k%E2%80%99taka-214

June 6: The Tamil Nadu tourism department wants its recently-formed eco-tourism wing to play a larger role in promoting sustainable eco-tourism like Karnataka, which drafts the services of IFS officials to professionally manage the state’s eco-tourism activities.

Currently the department is severely handicapped as it has to first obtain permission from the forest department even for accommodation and camping activities at the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary or at mangrove-rich Pitcha-varam. The tourism department is handicapped while planning or executing adventure sports activities, particularly eco-trails or promoting tourism on the fringes of the forests.

“It is unfortunate that people cannot see and enjoy the bio-diversity of the state or even appreciate nature from close quarters,” said a tourism official. “But we hope the eco-tourism wing, which has launched trekking programmes, will herald a change soon.”

...

shekar

June 10th, 2010, 07:04 AM

www.thehindu.com

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/10/images/2010061061890601.jpg
SPLENDID:A view of Chettinad Heritage Palace located at Kanadukathaan.

SIVAGANGA: Chettinad region could be developed as a two-night stay destination in the existing Tamil Nadu tourism circuit, as it has immense potential to showcase heritage buildings and rural India, said P. Asoka, president, Approved Tour Guides' Association, Chennai.

Speaking to ‘The Hindu' on Wednesday after visiting various places of tourist interest in the region along with a number of tour guides for two days, he said the unexplored potential of the region could alter the tourism circuit in South India to a great extent. With the setting up of quality hotels and conversion of heritage bungalows into hotels, it had already started attracting tourists from western countries including England, Germany, France, Italy, United States. While some of the tourists were opting to make just a visit during day time, others preferred to stay for a night in the Chettinad region.

Mr. Asoka said the tour guides were of the view that the region had enough opportunities to engage foreign tourists at least for two days.

Besides focusing on heritage buildings in different villages of the region, the art, religion, culture, paintings of Chiththannavasal, Northamalai, Avudaiyarkoil, Aththankudi, Thirumayam fort could be showcased to the European tourists, who evinced interest in exploring these.

He added that it could be the best region to showcase the rural India, the lifestyle of the rural people and the farming practices. The weekly shandy, marriages, rituals and festivals could also be showcased to the foreign tourists. Mr. Asoka said the Tamil Nadu circuit would be Chennai-Kancheepuram, and Mahabalipuram and Chennai, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Chettinad and Madurai. From there the tourists could proceed to Kerala or other States. The association would present a report highlighting the potential of Chettinad region to the tourism ministries of the State and Central government to include it in the tourism map of India. Similarly, International Air Transport Association would also be impressed upon the need to tap the resources.

Johny Peter, General Manager, Visalam of CGH Earth Experience, Kanadukathan, which hosted the programme, said it would continue to take steps to promote tourism in Chettinad, which has a lot of unexplored potential.

saysenthil

June 10th, 2010, 11:36 AM

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/06/10/stories/2010061052692100.htm

CD on tourism: The Tourism Minister, Mr N. Suresh Rajan, launching the CD images on tourism places in Tamil Nadu and the Deputy Director, Mr Subramanian, receives the first copy at Island Ground in Chennai on Wednesday. Also seen are Tamil Nadu Tourism Secretary, Mr V. Irai Anbu and the TTDC Managing Director, Mr A.C. Mohandoss.

ajithv

June 14th, 2010, 03:52 AM

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/14/images/2010061454040201.jpg

TIRUNELVELI: Courtallam, the major attraction of the district, was overflowing with the tourists from various parts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, as all waterfalls at the ‘ Spa of the South' were gushing after incessant drizzle in the Western Ghats.

Though other parts of Tirunelveli district did not experience any rainfall on Saturday night, Courtallam was blessed with continuous sprinkle till Sunday evening, which was enough to ensure good inflow in Main Falls, Old Falls, Five Falls and Tiger Falls.

Traffic snarl

On coming to know about the commencement of season at Courtallam on a high note, tourists from Madurai, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari, had come to Courtallam in hundreds of vehicles that caused a traffic snarl on the Main Falls – Five Falls stretch for a while.

Additional police personnel have been deployed near Main Falls and Five Falls round-the-clock.

Source (http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/14/stories/2010061454040200.htm)

ChennaiIndian

June 14th, 2010, 10:50 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/ttdc-prepares-sell-vedanthangal-hotel-246

June 13: Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), facing an acute shortage of manpower and a resource crunch, is finding it difficult to manage its hotel at Vedanthangal, near the country’s oldest bird sanctuary. The corporation has franchised about 24 of its properties at a time when private hotels are in expansion mode and Hotel Tamil Nadu is now up for outright sale.

Located on a sprawling 1.19 hectares with a spacious 5,050 sq. ft building, the hotel is one of the corporation’s most valuable properties. Sources said TTDC has sought tenders for the sale of Hotel Tamil Nadu. “The hotel has not been operating for several months as the corporation found it hard to continue with the venture,” a senior official said. “The staff strength is gradually thinning due to superannuation and with the freeze on recruitment still in place, it is becoming a Herculean task to manage affairs.”

A move to sell the hotel a few years ago did not evoke the response the corporation expected. So it has now decided to invite tenders for the property. “We hope an enterprising firm keen to promote tourism in Vedanthangal, which attracts several migratory birds, will purchase the hotel,” another official said.

Besides 24 hotels, TTDC has franchised seven restaurants. The income earned through the franchising is being used to upgrade 55 hotel chains under the corporation’s control.

...

chennaidesi

June 14th, 2010, 10:56 PM

kannan infratech

June 15th, 2010, 10:26 AM

@ TTDC prepares to sell Vedanthangal hotel

Why have you put a Thumbs Down sign?

If any private enterprise comes forward to run the hotel, it is better, isn't it?

But I am still skeptical about the profitability of the lodging business there. Restaurants may do well with the floating population.

I found no competent person to explain about the migratory birds when I went there a few years ago.

May Be the vibrant Tourism Secretary Mr. Irai Anbu has corrected the same now.

ChennaiIndian

June 17th, 2010, 09:28 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/hogenakkal-falls-get-lift-131

June 17: Hogenakkal will soon get amenities worth Rs 2.69 crore to lure more tourists to the scenic spot known for its thundering waterfalls. The funds for the proposed project will be sourced through the to-urism department’s destination development scheme.

Located about 45 km fr-om Dharmapuri on the st-ate’s border with Karnataka, Hogenakkal is among 27 major and minor wa-terfalls in TN. Infrastructure like barricades, hand rails, changing rooms and a massage centre have already been set up at the spot where water cascades from a height of 20 metres with a deafening sound. A park set up near the falls is an added attraction.

The destination development scheme envisages the setting up of more facilities to keep tourists hooked to the spot. “The local authorities have been instructed to exercise precautionary measures at the boating yard to safeguard the lives of tourists,” says TTDC managing director A.C. Mohandoss.

...

Subra

June 26th, 2010, 10:32 PM

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Foreign-tourists-flock-to-Tamil-Nadu/Article1-563749.aspx

Foreign tourists are heading southwards.

With a record 2.37 million visitors, Tamil Nadu became the number one destination state for foreign tourists in 2009, accounting for 17.3 per cent of tourists who visited the country.

Tamil Nadu also became the third state to attract maximum domestic tourists, with 115.8 million visitors (almost 17.8 per cent of domestic tourism).

The lure: Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, a town in Kancheepuram district that was a port city for the Pallava dynasty in the seve-nth century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Figures compiled by the Ministry of Tourism found Andhra Pradesh retained its slot at the top for domestic tourism, for the fourth year running, with 157.5 million Indians visiting the state.

“The big draw is the Tirumala Tirupati shrine in Andhra Pradesh,” a ministry official told HT. “The state tourism department’s sustained promos of the Charminar and Golconda Fort also contributed to the domestic tourist inflow.”

The top 10 states attracting foreign tourists in 2009 were Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh.

dhandapanik

June 28th, 2010, 08:56 AM

pdykid

June 28th, 2010, 04:05 PM

chennaidesi

June 28th, 2010, 09:34 PM

Foreign tourists flock to Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu

New Delhi: It appears as if swine flu and the economic recession failed to deter Indian tourists.

Despite adverse advisories and the financial crunch, domestic tourism registered a 15.5% growth during 2009, according to statistics from the tourism ministry.

On the other hand, foreign tourist visits (FTVs) saw a decline of 2.8% last year. The drop in figures was a natural fallout due to swine flu and the recession.

However, despite the fall in numbers, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were the most visited destinations by foreign tourists.

Tamil Nadu emerged on top pushing behind Delhi, which had traditionally had the highest FTVs being the country’s capital.

Maharashtra continued to remain the second favourite destination for foreigners mainly because of Mumbai.

Though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for the change in preferences, people in the tourism industry said that the trend indicates that tourists wanted to go beyond the beaten track of Jaipur and Agra.

About 20 lakh foreigners visited Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, leaving behind Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, which boasts of the Taj Mahal.

The top 10 states in terms of number of FTVs during 2009 were: Tamil Nadu (20.3 lakh):banana:, Maharashtra (20 lakh), Delhi (19.6 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (15.3 lakh), West Bengal (11.8 lakh), Rajasthan (10.7 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (80,000), Kerala (55,000), Bihar (42,000) and Himachal Pradesh (40,000).

The contribution of these states was about 90% to the total number of FTVs in the country last year.

The percentage shares of the top five states was :banana:Maharashtra (14.6%), Delhi (14.3%), Uttar Pradesh (11.25) and West Bengal (8.6%).

During 2009, the number of FTVs to the states/union territories was 1.37crore compared to 1.41 and 1.33crore in 2008 and 2007, respectively. The number of FTVs registered a decline of 2.8% over 2008, compared to an increase of 6.4% in 2008 over 2007.

“While the FTVs dipped, the domestic tourism industry grew bringing out the importance of domestic tourism in the overall tourism development in the country,” a tourism ministry official said.

About 65crore domestic travelers visited states and union territories last year compared to 56.3crore in 2008 and 52.7crore in 2007.

This was a 15.5% increase over 2008 as compared tothe rise of 6.9% in 2008 over 2007.

Andhra Pradesh, because of Tirumala-Tirupati, and Uttar Pradesh because of its religious places, topped the list of states with highest tourist footfalls.

The top 10 states in terms of number of domestic tourist visits during 2009 were Andhra Pradesh (15.75 crore), Uttar Pradesh (13.48 crore), :banana:, Karnataka (3.27 crore), Rajasthan (2.56 crore), Maharashtra (2.37 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.31 crore), Uttarakhand (2.19 crore), West Bengal (2 crore) and Gujarat (1.59 crore).

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_foreign-tourists-flock-to-maharashtra-tamil-nadu_1402131

ChennaiIndian

June 29th, 2010, 10:14 PM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article490171.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00135/TNJ30BIG_TEMPLE_135631f.jpg

Vacationers from across the globe can now explore and visit several tourist spots and UNESCO monuments in Tamil Nadu through a virtual tour.

Initiated by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) recently, a click on the mouse gets one all tourist spots live on screen with very real effects.

“The aim of launching a virtual tour is an attempt to enable not only the local people, but also those abroad have a real kind of experience about various tourist spots of Tamil Nadu”, TTDC IT in-charge Justin Jose told PTI.

TTDC plans include a virtual walk through 32 destinations, with another 24 famous spots to be added soon, he said.

Mr. Jose said those who have not visited Thanjavur to see the famous Brahadeeswarar temple could pay a virtual visit to the site, enabling them see it in all its glory, including all the beautiful sculptures.

He said these tours can be viewed on the website www.tamilnadutourism.org.

“This website will also provide life to popular as well as lesser known spots in the state. Most often, visitors do not get proper information or guidance and are not able to visit the spots in its entirety”, he added.

...

ChennaiIndian

July 1st, 2010, 10:37 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/state-get-push-trekker%E2%80%99s-destination-327

June 30: The tourism department has planned to take up an aggressive campaign to promote Tamil Nadu as an ideal destination for trekking in addition to its numerous attractions. “Apart from trekking we want to involve stakeholders in promoting responsible tourism, preserve monuments and conserve nature,” TTDC managing director A.C. Mohandoss said.

The commitment of tourism minister N. Suresh Rajan to promote new initiatives and the involvement of tourism secretary V. Irai Anbu in improving ‘Brand Tamil Nadu’ by producing a theme song glorifying the state as the cultural capital of Incredible India, could help attract more tourists, another official said.

“We also want to ensure the beaches and parks across the state are clean to draw more crowds,” Mr Mohandoss told this newspaper. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu, which received 2.37 million visitors in 2009, has emerged as the most visited state in the country surpassing Maharashtra (2 million) and the National Capital Region (1.96 million). Tourist destinations like Mahabalipuram and Thanjavur helped draw a large number of foreign tourists and the mushrooming of MNCs in Chennai has also contributed to the surge.

...

ChennaiIndian

July 8th, 2010, 09:39 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/valluvar-kottam-cries-attention-602

July 8: It’s ironical that Tamil Nadu, which recently celebrated the glory of Tamil language and literature during the world Tamil conference, continues to disregard a monument that was built to honour one of the greatest contributors to Tamil language.

Valluvar Kottam, situated at the intersection of Kod-ambakkam High Road and Village Road and built in memory of Tiruvalluvar, the classical Tamil poet, saint and philosopher, is in a state of neglect.

While at one area, the iron railing of the compound wa-ll has come off, at another a full-grown tree has brought down the wall surrounding it. According to residents both the areas are easy acc-ess points for miscreants to get inside the compound.

Octogenarian S. Subrama-nian, a resident of Valluvar Kottam High Road said, “It was in 1976 that the then TN government constructed Valluvar Kottam, meaning the ‘Temple of Valluvar’. It was an act of honouring the great sage whose Tirukkural has been translated into several languages. But the present state of Valluvar Kottam is unfortunate.”

...

ChennaiIndian

July 8th, 2010, 09:40 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/mahabalipuram-be-adventure-tour-hotspot-607

June 8: While the Island Grounds, the traditional venue for tourism fairs will soon turn into a resort for visitors, Mahabalipuram, the ancient sea port of the Pallavas, is set to transform into an adventure tourism hotspot that will enthrall visitors all through the year.

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has proposed to establish an amusement complex on a revenue sharing basis with private sector firms at Island Grounds. The complex will have, among other things, water and adventure sport attractions, inflatables and equipment exclusively for children’s games.

A 50,000 sq. ft area has been earmarked to establish the amusement complex. Presently, TTDC is involved in the process of identifying a partner to establish, operate and maintain the complex for a period of three years. :cheers:

Besides this, Ayyan (Thiruvalluvar) waterfalls and the swimming pool in front of it, that was opened during the fair organised a few months ago, are likely to be retained to serve as added attractions.

The adventure tourism arena, established at a cost of Rs 8 lakh on the premises of the serene TTDC beach resort complex at Mahabalipuram, famous for its monuments carved from rock, will be inaugurated by tourism minister N. Suresh Rajan on July 12. It will offer target shooting, land sailing and other activities.

...

saysenthil

July 12th, 2010, 11:02 AM

CHENNAI: Following ‘Maragatha Poonga' and ‘Semmozhi Sirpa Poonga,' Mamallapuram might soon be dotted with more such parks and picturesque landscapes. The Tourism department would begin work to enhance the aesthetics of Mamallapuram. The work will be part of the proposed Rs.34.6 crore project, which receives funding from the Government of India, to develop the Madurai-Rameswaram-Kanyakumari circuit.

The department would also set up an adventure sports complex in Mamallapuram and introduce adventure sports in Rameswaram, Madurai and Kanyakumari. “We are taking up a host of such infrastructural projects across the State to improve the tourist inflow. A lot more schemes are on the anvil,” said Tourism Commissioner A.C.Mohan Das.

Tourism sources said that the government order to this effect would be issued this week. The infrastructural development initiatives include creating parks, development of tourist information centres and basic amenities for tourists. The department has obtained the Central government's sanction for similar projects at Tirupparankundram, Kodaikanal, Palani, Mettur Dam and the Sikkal-Velankanni-Nagore circuit.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation has introduced an Ayurveda treatment facility at its ‘Hollow Bamboo Resort' Mamallapuram, to promote medical tourism. Work has also begun on setting up a tourist facilitation centre at Mamallapuram.

Rameswaram belt

“The department is viewing Rameswaram belt as a potential tourist destination to attract pilgrims and nature lovers alike,” an official of the department said.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071257290600.htm

saysenthil

July 12th, 2010, 11:17 AM

HIGHWAVYS (THENI): A major spice tourism centre developed at Kurangani village on the Western Ghats will be thrown open for tourists shortly, A.C. Mohan Das, Director for Tourism has announced.

Inaugurating a two-day summer festival here on Saturday, he said that the Department of Tourism had almost completed all the works. It would be opened soon.

(Kurangani hills, one of the major spice producing centres in the district, was identified in 2007 to be converted into a major spice tourism centre at an estimated cost of Rs.70 lakh under a special scheme of the Tourism Department of the Central government.)

The Tourism Department had taken up 18 lesser known tourists spots in the State this year to be popularised among tourists. All required facilities would be created in these tourists spots. Last year, it had taken up 18 lesser known tourist spots and their development works was in full swing. With these, 36 spots were being developed, he added.

Explaining the future plans for Highwavys, the Director said that trekking for tourists and students would begin on Highwavys and Megamalai hills in 20 days. “We will send the permission letter in this connection immediately.”

The Theni district administration had sent proposals for the development of Vaigai dam as a prime tourist spot at an estimated cost of Rs.6.49 crore.

Besides, proposals at an estimated cost of Rs.6 crore for the development of other tourist spots in the district had also been sent for approval, he pointed out.

In his address, Special Representative for Tamil Nadu in New Delhi, P. Selvendran, alleged that many development works could not be taken up in Highwavys owing to poor cooperation from the estate authorities.

Collector P. Muthuveeran worried that even basic amenities could not be provided to estate workers owing to the poor response from estate owners. Inordinate delay in getting consent from estate authorities affected development activities, he said.

Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan, District Revenue Officer R. Brinda Devi spoke.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/11/stories/2010071157400300.htm

saysenthil

July 12th, 2010, 11:19 AM

SIRUMALAI (DINDIGUL): Sirumalai hill will soon find a prominent place in tourists' map of Tamil Nadu as the State government has plans to set up one of the five genetic heritage gardens (Mullai Thottam) here mirroring tradition and culture of Tamil people as spelt out in the Sangam poetry.

Talking to press persons after inspecting two sites proposed by the district administration on Sirumalai hill near here on Friday, Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government (Agriculture) Nandha Kishore said that the garden will be established without disturbing the flora and fauna in the proposed site. Environmental safety will be given top priority and the bio-diversity will be fully protected while developing such heritage gardens.

Mullai (forest) format

The proposed garden will reflect Tamil culture and traditional living style of people belonging to Sangam period. Sirumalai hill will reflect Mullai (forest) land format explained in Tamil literature. The proposed sites will be referred to Agriculture scientist and programme organiser M.S. Swaminathan.

Later, the project will be implemented only after getting approval from the agriculture minister and the chief minister, he added.

The process of identifying sites meant for development of similar gardens in other parts of the State was also on. Yercaud hill in Salem district, Nilgiris and Nagapattinam districts were identified to develop such gardens that would reflect other land classifications mentioned in the literature, Mr. Nandha Kishore stated. “These gardens will reflect the tradition of those lands, culture, heritage and people.”

Agriculture Commissioner S. Kosala Raman, Collector M. Vallalar and others accompanied them.

The officers inspected the horticulture fruit farm and another site under the control of Sericulture Department in Thenmalai, southern portion of Sirumalai hill, 36 km away from Dindigul and 1,000 to 1,300 metre above sea level.

Already, the renovation of prime road connecting Pazhaiyur and Thenmalai was commenced.

In the World Classical Tamil Conferences held in Coimbatore recently, the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had announced that the State government would set up ‘genetic heritage gardens' based on Sangam literature in the five zones representing Kurinchi, Mullai, Neithal, Paalai and Marudam.

Sangam literature classified the land into five parts namely, Kurinji (mountain and hill area) Mullai, (forest area), Marutham, (agriculture land area), Neithal (sea shore area) and Palai (dry and desert area).

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/10/stories/2010071054340500.htm

ChennaiIndian

July 14th, 2010, 09:05 PM

Cross-posting from Chennai thread...

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/beach-resort-gets-sporty-makeover-881

July 14: Wind surfing and land sailing on the sandy shores of Mahabalipuram through land yachts are among the numerous adventurous sports activities launched by tourism minister N. Suresh Rajan near here on Wednesday.

The adventure sports arena established on the premises of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation’s beach resort complex (BRC), Mahabalipuram, is aimed at attracting the youth and foreigners. Archery, balloon shooting, target shooting and net cricket are the other attractions and each comes for a price ranging from Rs 25 to Rs 100.

“Depending upon the response from people, we will train all those interested in taking up wind surfing as hobby,” a senior official from TTDC said and added a trained personnel would impart the lessons.

TTDC’s managing director A.C. Mohandoss presided. Manager N. Ravi and other officials participated. On the cards is to introduce more activities at the arena soon. Interestingly, two bullock carts made an appearance for the first time at the BRC to offer free rides to visitors. A French family with two teenaged girls and a group of visitors from Nigeria who visited the BRC were offered rides on the bullock carts. They were very thrilled over the experience. The tourism minister also was offered a ride around the woody locale of the massive BRC upon his arrival.

...

ChennaiIndian

July 18th, 2010, 11:23 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/adventure-sport-project-be-privatised-state-269

July 18: A few days after launching an adventure sports site at Mahabalipuram, the TTDC has decided to take the help of the private sector to develop the spot and maintain it for a decade. Apparently there is no infrastructure whatsoever for the sports arena, just 15 acres of empty land at the sprawling beach resort complex at Mahabalipuram.

Enquiries revealed that TTDC also lacks the skilled manpower required to offer such sports meant to attract foreign tourists and youngsters. The existing infrastructure occupies a small portion of the vast chunk of land and only offers archery, target shooting, balloon shooting and net cricket on land and water sports like wind-surfing and land-sailing.

TTDC has now decided to franchise the operation as it lacks trained personnel manpower to offer sports like bungee jumping, trampoline, paintball and mock rock-climbing.

“The open space available at our beach resort complex would be franchised to establish, operate and maintain adventure sports by private adventure sports operators on a revenue sharing basis,” a senior official told this correspondent on Sunday.

“TTDC hit upon the idea to establish the arena as part of its effort to promote Chennai and Mahabalipuram as a hub for adventure sports and keeping in tune with the concept we are taking steps to ensure activities that can enthral visitors on a permanent basis throughout the year,” he added.

...

mr_madras

July 19th, 2010, 10:05 AM

ChennaiIndian

July 20th, 2010, 10:40 PM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article522246.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00146/19THTEMPLE_PHOTO_146642f.jpg

The Brihadeeswarar temple, Thanjavur, will soon have a sound-and-light show. The plan now is to have two shows each day – one in English and the other in Tamil – and the duration is expected to be about 45 minutes each.

After a long struggle, and coordinated efforts of the Tamil Nadu Tourism department and personal interest of Chief Secretary K.S.Sripathi, the decks have finally been cleared for the show. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on July 8 between the Director General, Archeological Survey of India and the Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, signalling the formal completion of procedures ahead of putting up a show.

The temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and built by Rajaraja Chola (985-1012), is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site. Hence, though the Tourism department had thought of the sound and light show around the same time that it introduced the show at the Tiumalai Nayakar Mahal at Madurai, a series of steps needed to be completed ahead of the commencement of the event.

“The temple is a protected monument. So the ASI wanted acoustic and light effect studies carried out ahead of giving us permission,” said Tourism Secretary V.Irai Anbu.

This took time. The National Physical Laboratory deputed its experts to investigate the effect of “induced vibrations due to acoustic excitation form the sound show” at the temple.

They also studied the effect of light due to the light show on the monument. The studies conclusively established that there could be no damage to the structure as a result of the show.

...

think_different

July 26th, 2010, 07:14 AM

WHZyK4fIjKs

sudheeshnairs

July 27th, 2010, 03:18 PM

wonder how come GOA is not appearing in top 10 something fussy. Result find outs may be from data of Foreigners Entry & exit at city airport

It only means that people who are coming need not be all ‘tourists’, but ‘visitors’. I remember seeing the same report in India Today in which it is said that the composition of these foreign visitors is businessmen/employees, students & tourists.

Say, a majority of foreign citizens landing in Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai need not be tourists, but majority landing in Goa would be tourists.

Reegan

July 27th, 2010, 07:37 PM

Courtesy : niranvv

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/4834511524_c9ff9fc75d_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/4834512216_2d540b5463_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/4833713890_5ef97db80f_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4833713678_aaed4b79d5_b.jpg

original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/niranvv

ChennaiIndian

August 2nd, 2010, 05:41 AM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article544804.ece

At 5 p.m. on September 25, the open space around the epic sculpture of the Nandi (the Bull) in the Rajarajesvaram temple at Thanjavur — popularly called the Brihadisvara or the Big Temple — will witness a grand dance spectacle. One thousand dancers from different parts of India and abroad will come together to perform Bharatanatyam to celebrate the 1,000th year of the building of the temple by Raja Raja Chola.

The “Brhan-Natya Yagna” ((brhan in Sanskrit means big) is being jointly organised by the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) and the Brhan Natyanjali Trust, Thanjavur.

Padma Subrahmanyam, eminent dancer and ABHAI president, will choreograph the performance and compose the music for it. She has chosen 11 verses in Tamil composed by Karuvur Thevar, the guru of Raja Raja Chola, which will be set to music. The 1,000 dancers will dance in unison when these recorded verses, called Tiruvisaippa, will be broadcast.

It was on the 275th day of his 25th regnal year (1010) that Raja Raja Chola (who ruled from 985-1014 Common Era) handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) to crown the vimana (the 59.82 metre tall tower above the sanctum) of the temple. Karuvur Thevar reportedly composed these verses for the occasion.

Dr. Subrahmanyam said: “This is an occasion to swell with pride. We cannot build a temple like the Rajarajesvaram temple. At least, we should come together to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the building of this great temple by Raja Raja Chola. It is a symbol of the Tamil culture. This is one temple where religion, dance, music, sculptures, inscriptions, frescoes, bronzes, aesthetics and so on came together. Raja Raja Chola patronised the artistes' community in an unparalleled manner. We want to express the gratitude of the dance community to the emperor who created this cultural capital.”

...

ChennaiIndian

August 7th, 2010, 07:20 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/asi-nod-sound-light-show-079

Aug. 5: With the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) finally giving its nod, the decks have been cleared for the tourism department to commence the on-site work to evolve the sound and light programme for the world heritage Big Temple at Thanjavur.
According to sources, the ASI, which protects the monument, gave its consent to commence the work after approving a technical design for installing the lights and other paraphernalia for organising the programme. About 10 days ago, the Integrated Digital Solutions (IDS), based in New Delhi, which has been entrusted with the task of preparing the show by the tourism and culture department, has signed a memorandum of understanding with ASI to execute the work.
The site for performing the show inside the temple has been identified by the ASI. The tourism department had already readied the script highlighting the magnificence of the temple built by King Raja Raja Chola and has provided Rs 1.5 crore to prepare the spectacular event, which would commemorate the 1,000th year of the temple frequented by devotees and foreign nationals.

...

Arul Murugan

August 8th, 2010, 05:42 AM

Thanjai to gear up for 1000years celebration of big temple.

- under the leadership of MK CM.

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/08/08/20100808a_001101004.jpg

DKN

ChennaiIndian

August 10th, 2010, 03:34 AM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Tamil-Nadu-Andhra-Pradesh-build-temple-ties-to-boost-tourism/articleshow/6284409.cms

CHENNAI: There are an estimated 34,000 temples in Tamil Nadu. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh attracts more than 50,000 visitors a day through the famous Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. Now, the two states which currently draw the maximum number of tourists to the country have joined hands to increase the rate of arrivals.

While Andhra Pradesh draws the most domestic tourists in the country, Tamil Nadu is ranked the top state in attracting the maximum number of foreign tourists due to the efforts of the government over the last four years, V Irai Anbu, secretary for tourism and Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) chairman, said on Monday.

Speaking at the signing of an MoU between both the states, he pointed out that the initiative had paved the way for tourists taking the TTDC's trips to arrange package tours to Andhra Pradesh thereby giving them a 15% discount. Places of tourist importance in Andhra Pradesh would be promoted at TTDC offices and hotels while the same would be done by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) as well.

Previously, Tamil Nadu had entered into similar promotional arrangements with Sikkim, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. According to APTDC vice-chairman and managing director Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Tamil Nadu was the tenth state with which Andhra Pradesh had entered into an understanding.

...

ChennaiIndian

August 10th, 2010, 11:29 PM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/tourism-drive-woo-visitors-across-country-715

Aug. 10: The Tamil Nadu tourism department has launched an aggressive promotion campaign to lure more domestic and foreign tourists to the state. As per statistics, Tamil Nadu is the most-visited state in India; 26 lakh foreign nationals visited the state during the last fiscal.

In addition, Tamil Nadu holds the number three spot for attracting domestic tourists and has registered over 7.8 crore visitors from various parts of the country.

“We want to spread awareness about the several attractions of Tamil Nadu within the country. Besides the gorgeous Nilgiris, Ooty and Kodaikanal, the state boasts of 12 hill stations and 20 waterfalls. We have planned to showcase the qualities of the place so that Tamil Nadu becomes the most visited place in the country even for domestic tourists,” said the tourism secretary, Mr V. Irai Anbu.

...

karthikarthik

August 11th, 2010, 04:37 AM

Arul Murugan

August 11th, 2010, 05:33 AM

^^

Good to see growth of tourism potential of TN. The credit should go to Mr.Irai anbu.

They had plans to develop the Kalrayan hills in Thiruvanamalai.

satishanu

August 11th, 2010, 05:44 AM

12 hill stations?

Any idea about other three?

Possibly Meghamalai, Top Slip & Velliangiri Hills

Skyprince

August 20th, 2010, 08:06 PM

Arasu

August 20th, 2010, 10:28 PM

^^ Skyprince,

Welcome back to India.
Looking forward to your travelogue yet another time. This may be a good time to visit Thanjavur being the 1000 the year of Raja Raja's reign and special celebrations in Thanjavur about it.

You can also visit Madurai which I guess you visited during an earlier trip.

How about Pondicherry?

kg4129

August 20th, 2010, 10:39 PM

Hi Skyprince, Welcome back to India again...

Looking for your great snaps :)

*Take some local trip to Srirangam, Samayapuram, Rockfort Temple, Grand anaicut & Puliacholai (Down side of Kolli Hills) in Trichy
* Trichy -Tanjore (on the way to Karaikal) by Bus an one hour Jorney, then you can see the 1000 year old Big Temple

karthikarthik

August 21st, 2010, 04:07 AM

Guys am visiting India next week ( for 3rd time ) on Aug 26th and my port of entry this time will be Tiruchirappali :cheers: Am planning for a great trip report .

Just would like to know your opinion so that I won't make wrong decision... I have 3 days and I'm very much interested to see typical town and typical lifestyle in Tamil Nadu. Do you think Karaikal is a nice place to be, with breezy air & peaceful atmosphere ?

Here is my itinerary:

Day 1- Kuala Lumpur to Tiruchirapalli , stay 1 night
Day 2- Tiruchirapalli to Karaikal by bus - stay in Karaikal
Day 3 - Karaikal to somewhere ( Not yet decided, any idea ? )
Day 4- leaving back to KL from Trichy by 9AM flight.

It would be helpful if someone from Karaikal in this forum could shed some lights.

Welcome Skyprince.

Some places of interest which you can include:

Tiruvanaikovil, Srirangam and rockfort temples in Trichy,
Tanjore-Brahadeeswarar Temple(Unesco site) and palace
Kumbakonam-Airawateeswarar temple(Unesco site)
Gangaikondacholapuram(Unesco site)
Chidambaram(Nataraja Temple, Pichavaram Mangroove Forest)
Tarangampadi(Danish Fort+beach)
Karaikal(Nagore Dargah and Velankanni church)
Tiruvarur(Temple)

There are so many temples near Kumbakonam and navagraha temples in and around these areas.

Skyprince

August 21st, 2010, 08:51 PM

Thanks as usual, Arasu, kg and karthik.

It seems that a stop in Thanjavur is a must. Will study more on Thanjavur and see if I will extremely like it just as Madurai..... I had wonderful time in Madurai early this year it beats all my expectations ! Superrrr !!

Pondicherry, I heard alot about it but lets see.

Arul Murugan

August 23rd, 2010, 05:35 AM

^^

Skyprince, welcome to Tamilnadu again.

Don't miss the grand big temple at Thanjavur, it is celebrating 1000yrs now. And also visit Srirangam temple, Velankanni Church and also Nagore Dharga.

Also try Trichy's shopping street near Mainguard gate's - foot of rockfort temple.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Tamilnadu is no.1 in attracting foreign tourist::cheers:

Visit of tamils all over the world started to increase in recent years.

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/08/23/20100823c_013101003.jpg

DKN

Skyprince

August 25th, 2010, 05:40 PM

^^ Thanks Arul.

Am leaving tomorrow ( Thursday ) and will arrive in TRZ around 1600 hrs, it's Muslim month of ramadan therefore I will be fasting . Lets see how much I can cover for this trip :cheers:

Arasu

August 25th, 2010, 10:06 PM

^^ Please don't forget to publish your travelogue in SSCI.

Wish you a happy and pleasant trip to TN/India.

kongutamizhan

August 26th, 2010, 02:53 AM

Rameshwaram gets 10 crore for tourism infrastructure. (A central government allotment)

http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/26/stories/2010082652081100.htm

Skyprince

August 31st, 2010, 03:52 PM

Just returned from India and WOW... such a great trip.

However, do not expect elaborate coverage like my 1st Indian trip since as Muslim I was fasting so my tour was quite limited. I did not visit the main tourist sites of Trichy, Thanjavur while I had to skip Karaikal this time since I really lose out of energy.

Stay tuned.

kg4129

September 1st, 2010, 04:13 PM

^^Skyprince, Waiting for great snaps :)

Arul Murugan

September 2nd, 2010, 05:43 AM

Cauvery flowin with Monsoon rain waters - Hogenakkal :cheers:

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/09/02/20100902a_002104011.jpg

DKN

Sampathkumar

September 2nd, 2010, 05:57 AM

satishanu

September 11th, 2010, 06:54 PM

UDHAGAMANDALAM: In a bid to attract more tourists, a proposal to launch a cable car service from Deer Park to Boathouse in this famous tourist town was under preparation, Union Communications and IT Minister A Raja said on Saturday.

The service would cover a distance of about three kms and the Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore project was in the draft stage, Raja, representing Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency, told reporters here.

The proposal would be readied by another three months and sent to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for approval, he said.

One Amithabh Sharma, who successfully implemented a similar service in Himachal Pradesh, has been approached for the project, Raja said.

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/cable-car-proposed-in-ooty-to-woo-tourists/205959.html

satishanu

September 14th, 2010, 04:13 AM

Tamil Nadu Tourism has added pictures of more locations, including lesser-known tourist spots in the state, on its website in the virtual tour category, after it received an enthusiatic response to the concept.

About 7.56 lakh people have taken the virtual tour so far. Visitors can rotated pictures of various locales in 360 degrees to get a feel of the destinations.

The department has now added more destinations like like Yelagiri, Tarangambadi, Valparai, Tharamangalam, Thirukadaiyeer, Thirumanjeri, Sithanaivasal, Sri Villiputhur, Thirupudaimuthur, Triparappu waterfalls and Top slip, said a press release.

Other places added to the virtual tour are famous temples, popular waterfalls and wildlife centres.

Read more: Virtual tour of lesser know tourist spots - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Virtual-tour-of-lesser-know-tourist-spots/articleshow/6549714.cms#ixzz0zSxBgZWj

satishanu

September 14th, 2010, 04:15 AM

^^ Nice work by TTDC to add lesser known places to Virtual Tour.

http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/virtualtour/index.html

dhandapanik

September 14th, 2010, 04:59 AM

^^ Nice work by TTDC to add lesser known places to Virtual Tour.

http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/virtualtour/index.html

Finally valparai and Topslip got added. Nice views. Thanks to the person who shot these pics. Kerala started promoting Parambikulam well. So TN should promote Topslip too. People can visit both the places at the same time.

Parambikulam and Topslip has their tourist information offices at pollachi.

ChennaiIndian

October 18th, 2010, 06:16 AM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article834766.ece

Just over a year after the gruesome boat tragedy in Thekkady in Kerala, boat riders are being allowed without wearing lifejackets on joy rides in some tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.

A majority of the boat riders remove the lifejackets after leaving the boarding point while some of them refuse to take it on the pretext that they had learnt swimming. Others preferred lifebuoy as they were allergic to use lifejackets used by others.

...

ChennaiIndian

October 22nd, 2010, 03:26 AM

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/danish-tranquebar-gets-facelift-840

Oct. 19: A promenade by the river and ample parking facilities near the ancient Danish fort are some of the steps that will soon be taken to beautify Tranquebar, lyrically called the ‘land of the singing waves’.
The beautification programme has been taken up as part of a mega plan to develop Tranquebar, also known as Tharangampadi, under the Destination Development Scheme, for which the Union tourism ministry has sanctioned Rs 3.73 crore. The state government recently sanctioned an additional Rs 27 lakh to execute the beautification programme this fiscal. The Governor’s Bungalow and the traditional Danish and Tamil houses lend the town in Nagapattinam district a distinct character. The Bestseller Foundation, Denmark, has also restored five simple traditional Tamil houses on Goldsmith Street.

...

rsubbu.mdu

October 22nd, 2010, 06:23 AM

Finally valparai and Topslip got added. Nice views. Thanks to the person who shot these pics. Kerala started promoting Parambikulam well. So TN should promote Topslip too. People can visit both the places at the same time.

Parambikulam and Topslip has their tourist information offices at pollachi.

Parambikulam has been promoted very well for a long time thanks to the intiatives of Sanjayan Kumar, IFS who heads the reserve. I have visited both Parambikulam and Top slip and i had worst experience in top slip starting from the way the TN - Govt staff behave at the cafeteria. TN - Forest dept provides a dog vehcile for the junge safari to Elephant camp. The roads are so bad that every joint would of yours would fall apart after the safari.

But the experience in the Parambikulam reserve is in total contrast with better infrastructure courteous staff and well laid out trip options for the tourists. Kerala views tourism as a industry and TN still thinks it is doing charity by providing tourists with facilities. Though things have changed once Irai Anbu took over as tourism secretry but still its a long way to go in comparison to our counterpart states tourism departments.....

Regards,
Subbu

dhandapanik

October 22nd, 2010, 06:45 AM

Parambikulam has been promoted very well for a long time thanks to the intiatives of Sanjayan Kumar, IFS who heads the reserve. I have visited both Parambikulam and Top slip and i had worst experience in top slip starting from the way the TN - Govt staff behave at the cafeteria. TN - Forest dept provides a dog vehcile for the junge safari to Elephant camp. The roads are so bad that every joint would of yours would fall apart after the safari.

But the experience in the Parambikulam reserve is in total contrast with better infrastructure courteous staff and well laid out trip options for the tourists. Kerala views tourism as a industry and TN still thinks it is doing charity by providing tourists with facilities. Though things have changed once Irai Anbu took over as tourism secretry but still its a long way to go in comparison to our counterpart states tourism departments.....

Regards,
Subbu

Both TopSlip and Parambikulam have their offices in Pollachi. KL Forest dept recently opened the pararmbikulam office at pollachi. Both the offices are located near by.

I tried twice to book a treetop houses at topslip in weekend. Officials told me that, they cannot provide the treetop houses in the weekends. they were actually given to MLAs/MPs during weekends. :bash: Its completely different in case of KL side. Hoping to visit parambikulam soon.

Roads will be good till sethumadai. From sethumadai, hill road starts towards topslip. From thereon roads are maintained well.

ChennaiIndian

November 9th, 2010, 05:16 AM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article874674.ece

The sprawling vacant land near the new check-dam across Araniyar river at Paleswaram in Uthukottai taluk is all set to become a picnic spot, thanks to the initiatives of the Tiruvallur district administration.

The Tiruvallur Collector, T.P. Rajesh, who recently inspected the check-dam, which was constructed at a cost of Rs.7.50 crore, directed the Public Works Department officials to develop a park in the neighbourhood. He wanted the authorities to take up improvement works to the carriageway leading to the check-dam from the main village road to provide access to the picnic spot.

Creating a recreation facility near the check-dam would attract a large number of visitors as it was near the Periyapalayathamman temple in Periyapalayam which receives hundreds of devotees everyday, Mr.Rajesh said. Among the facilities proposed at the park are a play area for children and seating arrangements for the visitors.

The check-dam was constructed by the Water Resources Department to harness around 130 million cubic feet of floodwater annually, which otherwise gets drained into Bay of Bengal. The facility would also help recharge the groundwater level in and around Paleswaram village.

...

kannan infratech

November 9th, 2010, 09:11 AM

karthikarthik

November 10th, 2010, 07:02 AM

I am forced to give a comparison, which I hope Forumers should not harp on and should not continue arguing - for or against.

I have been to both Top Slip and Parambikulam areas. Though I found Top Slip more interesting than Parambikulam, I found that the marketing of Parambikulam was more mature, user friendly and courteseous.

Many of us may not have gone to Top Slip due to poor marketing and poor arrangements.
Thanks to my Forest Dept friends, I had a nice time. But some families, who visited without much knowledge on Top Slip suffered.

TN has a long way to go in marketing tourist places and providing the eco friendly infra.

I totally agree with you. I am a regular visitor to Parambikulam/Topslip and I go for trekking on a regular basis. If you take Parambikulam there are three dams with their beautiful catchment areas(Thunakaduvu, Peruvaripallam and Parambikulam) apart from that the great Teak tree(Largest in the world) which are part of the 2 hour ride apart from that animal sighting depends on your luck and which are more are less same in TN and KL areas. Except the elephant camp the ride offered by TN does not have any added advantage.

KL's safari vehicle is much better when compared to TN and KL forest official are courteous and are much more approachable. Another interesting thing about Parambikulam is its website which offers enormous information and TN lags in promoting it. Almost all the trekking/stay/other packages are listed in Parambikulam website and for Topslip with so many trekking routes are not known to the tourist.

dhandapanik

November 10th, 2010, 07:46 AM

I totally agree with you. I am a regular visitor to Parambikulam/Topslip and I go for trekking on a regular basis. If you take Parambikulam there are three dams with their beautiful catchment areas(Thunakaduvu, Peruvaripallam and Parambikulam) apart from that the great Teak tree(Largest in the world) which are part of the 2 hour ride apart from that animal sighting depends on your luck and which are more are less same in TN and KL areas. Except the elephant camp the ride offered by TN does not have any added advantage.

KL's safari vehicle is much better when compared to TN and KL forest official are courteous and are much more approachable. Another interesting thing about Parambikulam is its website which offers enormous information and TN lags in promoting it. Almost all the trekking/stay/other packages are listed in Parambikulam website and for Topslip with so many trekking routes are not known to the tourist.

Topslip is not promoted well by our TTDC/TN Forest officials. Only in recent past TTDC had some trekking package for topslip. Once i enquired for treetop house at topslip. The behavior of our forest officials is not good. In the weekends, for sure they will not give treetop houses to us. It is more or less reserved for MLAs/TN Govt higher officials. :bash: Dont know who will come and stay there in week days.

kannan infratech

November 10th, 2010, 02:29 PM

Topslip is not promoted well by our TTDC/TN Forest officials. Only in recent past TTDC had some trekking package for topslip. Once i enquired for treetop house at topslip. The behavior of our forest officials is not good. In the weekends, for sure they will not give treetop houses to us. It is more or less reserved for MLAs/TN Govt higher officials. :bash: Dont know who will come and stay there in week days.

I also got your :bash:

Without knowing somebody, it is very difficult to get accomodation in Topslip.

Eco Tourism does have a different meaning in TN. It means Cool Spot where you can do Binge Drinking, eat like a hog and add to the kitty of the oldest treda on Earth. I missed plastic pollution.

Topslip is such a nice place for trekking and eco tourism and TNTDC has to think out of the Govt. norms to promote the place.

dhandapanik

November 10th, 2010, 03:16 PM

Topslip is such a nice place for trekking and eco tourism and TNTDC has to think out of the Govt. norms to promote the place.

You are correct. I'm native of POY and it has the offices of both Topslip(TN) and Parambikulam(KL). TNTDC should think about promoting Pollachi and near by areas in ecotourism projects. Not even a single tourism information center is there in POY/Valparai areas. Worst thing is we dont have proper information about these areas in our TNTDC websites. :(

TNTDC always operates the tours starting from Chennai. Why cant they think about operating tours from Chennai/TVM/Kochi/CBE/AP cities etc? Not sure whether start any tours from bangalore..

kannan infratech

November 13th, 2010, 12:50 PM

Domestic Marketing may fetch huge income.

I have been observing that IT / Fin Sector guys of late contribute major share to domestic tourism. esp Bangalore / Mysore / Karnataka IT guys are regular visitors to Ooty, Yercaud, Yelagiri and other tourist places bordering Karnataka.

So opening up swanky offices at Bangalore & Mysore with website links and e payment options is a must.

I also felt that the so called Govt Employees who man the counters in TNTDC offices / booths are not committed enough and they are not trained at all. It will be better, if TNTDC employs locals with knowledge of TN Tourist destinations and good marketing skills (even incentives based on booking revenue may be an option, worth trying)

The quality of pamphlets is another matter. That generally reads more as an advt for the achievements by the ruling government. The essence of the highlights of the tourist places is diluted by the jingoism.

Web Marketing may be a great option to try. Probably the experience of the past travelers will fetch more travelers. I generally browse INDIAMIKE since that gives On the Spot Assessment by Real Travelers.

I am frustrated since I have been visiting all these exotic places in TN but I have to really try hard to get any information from the official channels.

One Day, I might try to compile / write a book on Tantalising Tamilnadu.

bonoslack7

November 17th, 2010, 07:30 PM

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/houses-of-the-holy/

satishanu

November 22nd, 2010, 03:10 PM

After reaching the top slot in the number of arrivals of foreign tourists, Tamil Nadu is all set to entice those foreign nationals bitten by the travel bug whose journals have not a word on the State - not yet, at least.

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation is now exploring the possibilities of wooing tourists from countries like Egypt, Spain and Russia. “Of late, tourists from these countries have evinced interest in visiting the State and there is a tremendous potential to tap,” a senior official from TTDC told Express.

“An Egyptian, during an interaction with TTDC personnel abroad, pointed out that there had been trade connections between ancient Tamils and Egyptians. So, heritage circuits here can lure more tourists from the country,” the official added.

Tamil Nadu usually records a good flow of tourists from the UK, France, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and South Africa, besides several thousands coming for medical treatment in Chennai and Vellore from the Middle East and African nations.

According to official estimates, about 24 lakh foreigners visited Tamil Nadu in 2009 - accounting for 17.3 per cent of tourists in the country. This figure was expected to shoot up in the current year, as the number of international tourists to the State had already crossed 24 lakh in October.

A new trend of foreign tourists visiting the State in big groups has emerged. Recently, 45 people from the UK toured the State, said TTDC managing director A Chittaranjan Mohandoss. “This is the result of a successful campaign by the Tamil Nadu tourism abroad. More such groups are expected in the following months,” he underlined.

SRC: http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/ttdc-to-woo-european-visitors/225017.html

Raji7373

November 26th, 2010, 09:34 AM

As a part of a cul tural exchange and educational tourism programme between Singapore and Tamil Nadu, a group of students from Singapore visited the state recently and interacted with top tourism officials here.
According to A.C. Mohandoss director of tourism and managing director of TTDC, the meeting was an occasion to exchange the cultural values of both the countries. TTDC also expects this to translate into an increase in tourist arrivals to Tamil Nadu from Singapore.

“Tourism plays a pivotal role in cultural and economic development. It fasters international understanding as a part of ‘Global Village Concept’,” he said.

Tamil Nadu has been attracting a large number of visitors from Singapore.

The prospects of seeing an increase in the inbound and outbound tourism to Singapore would increase in the coming months, thanks to the effective campaign, said another official.

http://dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/11/26/ArticleHtmls/26_11_2010_004_026.shtml?Mode=0

“There is good air connectivity between both the destinations as Chennai has recently been added yet another Indian destination for the SilkAir.

Raji7373

November 26th, 2010, 09:41 AM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/TN-to-get-more-tourists-from-Africa/articleshow/6991385.cms

Tamil Nadu is all set to reap the benefits of promoting the state at international travel marts and exhibitions. Countries such Ghana, Egypt and South Africa will be sending tourist groups to Tamil Nadu in the coming months, said Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) managing director A C Mohandoss, who attended a four-day World Travel Mart in London.

TTDC will also launch a comprehensive heritage tourism circuit by January to attract foreign tourists. Korkai, an ancient port near Tuticorin, Ottanchatiram in Dindugal where Pandya, Chola and Chera kingdoms shared a common border, Tuvarankuruchi and Viralimalai where the Cholas and Pandyas fought a fierce battle, Panchalankuruchi fort, Kottar coast from where the legendary Lemuria continent extended into the sea, and the birthplace of poet Bharatiyar and V O Chidambaranar are being included in the heritage circuit.

"Serious tourists who are interested in visiting places connected to ancient history, culture and heritage. Tourism officials of Egypt said ancient Egyptians had trade ties with the Tamil kingdoms. Ships used to come to Korkai where Egyptian traders sold horses and purchased Indian spices, peacock feathers and pepper. The tourism department of Egypt is planning to send tourist groups to TN," said Mohandoss.

A number of people of Indian origin live in Ghana and South Africa and want to trace their roots. "South Africa has already informed us that they are sending a group of tourist to Chennai to explore the culture and heritage sites in the state."

Tamil Nadu gets tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Around 24 lakh foreign tourists have visited the state till October this year. The heritage circuit would help us attract more tourists, he added.

TTDC is also increasing the number of tourist-friendly autorickshaws which were started primarily for the benefit of foreign tourists at Chennai, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Kanyakumari, Yercaud and Palani.

Read more: TN to get more tourists from Africa - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/TN-to-get-more-tourists-from-Africa/articleshow/6991385.cms#ixzz16NNOiP1v