THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Faraway from the hustle and bustle of the city lies the serene and tranquil Madavoorpara. A paradise for nature lovers, the place offers breathtaking views with a pinch of antiquity in the form of decades-old rock-cut Shiva temple. Though it remained an unknown tourist destination until recently where the visitors were mostly the local people, the spot is now turning into a buzzing destination.
Cashing in on its attractiveness and potential to become a tourist hotspot, the Tourism Department with the help of Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission has decided to promote RT activities there. The department is also chalking out a programme so as to promote Madavoorpara through experiential tour package.
“We have asked the RT Mission to give emphasis in developing RT activities and promoting experiential tour package that connects Madavoorpara, the rock-cut cave-temple and the nearby villages. Though RT Mission had conducted a one-day workshop in this regard, more activities will have to be followed,” said an officer with the Tourism Department. According to the officer, the workshop which was organized during the second week of July and was attended by around 200 individuals, came out with a 15-point action plan for making the destination a much sought-after one.
“The attendees who were grouped into seven categories were asked to discuss on carrying out the tourism resource mapping, conducting traditional livelihood activities and experiential tour packages, capacity building and training, involving Kudumbasree in RT activities, organising experiential tour packages and initiating basic infrastructure development in the area,” adds the officer.
At the same time, RT Mission authorities said some of the activities they were planning at Madavoorpara includes a code of conduct to be followed at the destination, resource directory preparation, promotion of traditional livelihood activities, heritage walk, cycle tours, promotion of local community-owned accommodations including homestays, implementation of green protocol, carbon neutral initiatives, implementation of green protocol and others.
Earlier considering the historical significance of the rock-cut temple, which also has a ‘vattezhuthu’ inscription, the Archaeology Department had declared it as a protective monument. Spreading over 19 acres of land, one of the major attractions at Madavoorpara is the rock climbing. The other attractions include a small park at the top of the rock, a ‘bamboo bridge’ to take people to the hut on top of the hill.
Meanwhile, considering the fact that the area is prone to lightning, the agencies concerned have started to erect a lighting conductor there.