The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Latest tourist attraction at Poonjeri near Mahabalipuram

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Friday, Feb 16, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Latest tourist attraction at Poonjeri near Mahabalipuram

T.S. Shankar

"Orchid Gardens" in World Heritage town

CHENNAI: Even as the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has embarked on an ambitious project to set up a butterfly park in Mahabalipuram, an enterprising hotelier has created a Rs.1.5 crore "Orchid Gardens" at Poonjeri in the World Heritage town.

The new tourist attraction has come up on a 1.75-acre plot on the non-beach front of the ECR, a few yards away from the Mahabalipuram intersection.

A reclaimed muddy road leads to the massive canopy that shows the way to the Orchid Gardens. "There are nearly 30 varieties of showy and colourful flowers. We took the Orchid gardens project as a challenge in the backdrop of peculiar weather pattern in South India and created this valuable hot house plants," said Gurunathan Dharmalingam, Managing Director, Ideal Group of Resorts. The Group owns a chain of hotels in Mahabalipuram and Thanjavur.

Mr. Dharmalingam said while all efforts were being made to make the Gardens near Mahabalipuram a success, a similar Orchid farm had been created on a 5-acre plot in Yercaud. "We are planning to tie-up with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) to include Poonjeri Orchid Gardens as part of the daily package tour itinerary of Mahabalipuram.

We are proposing to levy a reasonable entrance fee and explain to tourists during their brief stopover about the importance of Orchid gardens and educate about them about the process of its creation," Mr. Dharmalingam added.

"Our long term plans are to enter into the export market of these exotic flowers."

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