THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A motorcycle rally to create awareness about an upcoming boat festival and elephant festival to be held later this week in Pathanamthitta was flagged off from Kovalam here on Wednesday.
Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar flagged off the bike rally, which is also accompanied by a jeep modelled as a campaign vehicle. The rally will crisscross various places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts before culminating in Konni.
While the elephant festival titled ‘Gaja Vignjanolsavam’ will be held from August 20 to 24 in Konni, the Adavi Fest will be held at Adavi from August 21 to 23.
Flagging off the rally, Anil Kumar said that there are many picturesque and attractive locations in Pathanamthitta but their tourism potential has not been fully exploited. He cited the example of Gavi, a destination in Pathanamthitta which became popular after a Malayalam movie was extensively shot at the tourist spot.
Pathanamthitta District Collector Harikishore S, who spoke on the occasion, said that Avadi was developed as a tourist destination in August last year. “Within a year, the place attracted over 30,000 visitors and generated a revenue of Rs 40 lakh,” he said. Harikishore said that the Tourism Department has allocated Rs 2 crore for development of various eco-tourism facilities in Pathanamthitta.
The Gaja Vignjanolsavam, to be held at the elephant camp in Konni, aims at imparting awareness about forest and elephant conservation among school children and general public, to ensure public participation in the development of the eco-tourism destination and enhancing income-generating opportunities for the local community through increased tourist arrivals.
Adavi Festival will be held at a picturesque forest patch, 10 km from Konni and 17 km from Pathanamthitta. The Coracle Rafting facility in the Kallar river is the main attraction of Adavi Fest. Adventure trekking, accommodation options on tree-top cottages, tenting options and walkways are the other attractions coming up in Adavi.