The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Kanthallur festival from tomorrow
Kanthallur, the sleepy village that won the gold award for Best Tourism Village, will hold a tourism fest from May 7 to 12 at Payas Nagar in Idukki.
According to the organisers, the fest will be conducted in association with Kanthallur panchayat, homestay and resorts association, drivers union, Forests and Wildlife department, merchants associations, and tribal villages under the panchayat.
Kanthallur panchayat president P.T. Mohandas said that the fest aims to explore the village’s tourism potential and attract more tourists.
“Kanthallur is one of the places in the district where visitors can see dierent types of farming and tourism activities,” he said.
As part of the fest, tourists can visit 49 tourist attractions in and around Kanthallur, including dolmens, tribal settlements, Marayur jaggery elds, waterfalls, and viewpoints, according to organisers.
“Carnival, amusement park, ower show, and various cultural programmes will be the attraction of the fest,” said Mr. Mohandas.
“Tribal food court and tribal dance are other specialities of the fest. The entry fee is ₹20 per person,” said the president.
The district industries centre will conduct a food processing and marketing expo called ‘Kanthallur Kanavu’ at the fest venue. According to o£cials, nearly 40 entrepreneurs will oer food items at the expo, which will also include various stalls.
Tourism award
In September 2023, Kanthallur village, under Devikulam taluk, had bagged the gold award from the Government of India in the best rural tourism projects category.
According to panchayat o£cials, after winning the award, Kanthallur emerged as one of the major tourism destinations in Idukki. Kanthallur is the only place in the State where apples are cultivated commercially, and the orchards are also a major attraction for tourists.