SIVAGANGA: Keeladi has been selected as the Best Tourism Village 2024 under the heritage category by the Ministry of Tourism, and panchayat president V Venkatasubramanian received the award during the World Tourism Day celebrations held in New Delhi on September 27, said District Collector Asha Ajith on Saturday.
Sivaganga district secured a place in the category following the state government's efforts to bring out the ancientness of the place through excavations, said the collector, adding that the 10th phase of excavation is under way in Keeladi and its cluster villages.
"The state government has constructed an on-site museum to present the greatness of the state to a larger audience. In the wake of this, the ministry issued awards in eight different categories-- adventure tourism, agri tourism, heritage, community based, responsible tourism, spiritual and wellness, craft and vibrant village. Keeladi is one among the five villages that received the award under heritage category, she said.
Taking to X, Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management Thangam Thenarasu, said that the award is a proud moment of the Dravidian model of government. Every day, thousands of tourists visit the on-site museum in the locality which was inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin last year, he added.