The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Increase in flow of tourists to Karaikal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 29, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Increase in flow of tourists to Karaikal

K. Subramanian

‘Floating Restaurant’ in the Arasalar river a major attraction

Amazing attraction: A view of the ‘floating restaurant’ on Arasalar river at Karaikal in Puducherry.

KARAIKAL: The Karaikal region in the Union Territory of Puducherry is now attracting tourists, thanks to the efforts of Tourism Department to promote tourism in the region. Thousands of pilgrims from several parts of the country are coming to worship Lord Saneeswara Bhagwan at Tirunallar temple situated just five km from here.

The ‘Floating Restaurant’ introduced by the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation in the Arasalar river in Karaikal town last year, has become a major attraction for tourists and pilgrims.

Entry fee

The 30-seat “Floating Restaurant”, built on two fibreglass boats at a cost of about Rs. 11 lakh , takes the tourists on a 45-minute journey from Arasalar New Bridge to the estuary at sea on Saturdays and Sundays, mostly in the evening. An entry fee of Rs. 30 per head is collected and snacks, tea, coffee and light tiffin are supplied to the tourists. The Karaikal Beach has now been equipped with play materials. There is a good turnout of children due to summer vacation.

The Puducherry Government has also chalked out a Rs. 400-crore master plan to provide all facilities in Tirunallar.

Meanwhile, the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation had recently introduced a tour from Tirunallar near Karaikal for pilgrims and tourists to visit the Navagraha shrines at Suriyanarkovil near Kumbakonam, Thingalur near Thanjavur, Vaitheeswarankovil, Tiruvengadu, Alangudi, Kanjanur near Mayiladuturai, Tirunageswaram and Keezhaperumpallam near Poompuhar.

S.P. Selvashanmugham, lawyer and president of Puducherry Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Legal Action Committee, told The Hindu on Saturday that the tourist traffic to Karaikal region would improve if the Government took special efforts for laying the new broad gauge rail link between Nagore and Karaikal at the earliest.

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

Tamil Nadu