The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Now, `zodiac trees' to promote tourism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 24, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Now, `zodiac trees' to promote tourism

LUCKY TREES: TOURISM Minister K.C. Venugopal at the venue of Kerala Tourism's exhibition of potted seedlings of the 27 trees that correspond to the zodiac signs, organised in the capital on Thursday. - Photo: S. Mahinsha

It is another step towards promoting eco-friendly tourism in the State. An exhibition of potted seedlings of 27 trees that "correspond" to the zodiac sign, organised by the Directorate of Ecotourism, was an eye-opener for those who stepped into Mascot Hotel on Thursday.

Minister for Tourism K.C. Venugopal was amused to learn that the tree for his zodiac sign is the banyan. Tourism principal secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan and Director of Tourism B. Suman were among those present.

"These trees have medicinal, social and aesthetic value. There is a popular belief that trees of one's zodiac sign bring one luck. Kerala Tourism wants to use this belief to popularise tree planting," says Director of Ecotourism K.G. Mohanlal.

The Ecotourism directorate has come out with a book "Stars and trees - Trees of Nakshtravanam" with technical support from the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute. A software for identifying one's own star and tree on the basis of date of birth has also been developed for the benefit of foreign tourists.

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail