Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 18 (PTI) The centuries-oldrock-cut temple and its lush-green premises, located at about1800 feet above sea level, will soon woo visitors as a touristdestination near Kerala capital.
With an aim to tap the potentials of unexplored scenicinlands, the Kerala Tourism and the state ArchaeologyDepartment have jointly launched a multi-crore project todevelop the hilltop Madavoorpara, about 20 kms away from here,as a major holiday destination.
Spread in a 22 acre land, the rock shrine, dedicated toLord Shiva and the picturesque surroundings, has already beenattracting pilgrims, researchers and tourists for some time,tourism sources said.
Besides the shrine, believed to have been built betweenthe 8-9 century AD, the long bamboo bridge leading to the topof the rock and the panoramic view of the surroundings areamong the other attractions.
Under the new initiative, the authorities are planning toset up a handful of facilities including adventure zones,amphitheatre, floating cottages, water fountain, cafeteria,open stage, stone pavements and benches, cottages andgreen-huts, they said.
State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inauguratedthe development project at a function here yesterday.
Launching the initiative, the minister said themulti-crore initiative would help Madavoorpara find a place inthe tourism calendar of the country.
Uralungal Labour Cooperative Society is entrusted withthe implementation of the project at a cost of Rs seven crore,department sources said. PTI LGK RC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.