Picnic spots in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi districts attract huge crowds on ‘kari naal’

Picnic spots in the district were virtually overflowing as people spent the day in these places with families, relatives and friends to celebrate ‘kari naal’, the day after ‘Pongal’.

In Tirunelveli district, spots close to the Tamirabharani watercourse, Nambi Temple, Kalakkad Thalaiyanai, Manimuthar and Papanasam dams, Agasthiyar Falls, Manimuthar Falls, Sorimuthu Ayyanar Temple, District Science Centre etc. attracted a large number of visitors.

The forest personnel had a tough time in screening the crowd entering the dams and other forest areas for use-and-throw plastic products and liquor.

The recently inaugurated ‘Porunai Archaeological Museum’, which attracted more than a lakh visitors in the first 20 days after it was unveiled on December 20 last, too enjoyed huge crowd on Friday. Most of the visitors spent at least two hours in the museum before leaving for the picnic spot of their choice or home.

The folk arts performed by the artists at the museum as part of the ‘Pongal’ celebrations enthralled the visitors throughout the day. District Collector R. Sukumar honoured the artists in the valedictory function held in the evening.

In Tenkasi district, Courtallam was the main crowd-puller as all waterfalls in this tourist destination had decent flow of water on Friday and the visitors, after enjoying refreshing bath in the waterfalls, camped in the roadside mango and coconut groves to enjoy their lunch and snacks.

The visitors also spent the day near the reservoirs in the district and the major waterbodies which are almost brimming with water, thanks to the active southwest and northeast monsoons.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements in all these places, especially near waterbodies and along the Tamirabharani watercourse to avert tragic incidents like drowning.