Wayanad Utsav-2024 tourism festival begins: Tourist centres witnessing better footfalls

Kalpetta: With the pooja holidays around the corner (October 11, October 12, and October 13), which mark the beginning of the tourism season after the monsoon, the District Administration has joined hands with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and other agencies, launching a 12-day (October 2 to October 13) tourism festival starting from Wednesday to breathe new life into the district's ailing tourism industry. The programmes in the pipeline include cultural shows, an ethnic expo, tribal tastes, a handicrafts expo, folk music and art expressions, and tribal archery. With the number of visitors increasing in Wayanad's tourism destinations and all the eco-tourism destinations under the forest department being opened, October brings hope to the tourism industry, which has been ailing post-Mundakkai landslide. This Onam season was a bitter one for the tourism industry of Wayanad as the scars of the Mundakkai landslide disaster were alive and fuming. The destinations were closed. The plight of tourism properties, including hotels, homestays, and resorts, was also the same.

Tourists increasing
The tourism centres also are witnessing a better number of footfalls post Onam. According to DTPC, 26,247 persons, including children, visited Pookot Lake near Lakkidi in September. The numbers increased soon after the Onam festival, encouraging the DTPC to launch the Wayanad Utsav-2024 with various programmes. There were days when the number crossed the 2000 mark, say officials. The centres selected for the tourism festival are En Uru, the tribal heritage village in Lakkidy, Karappuzha Dam Garden, Karappuzha and Town Square, Sulthan Bathery. The programmes would start at 4 pm and end at 7 pm daily.

The venues
1) En Uru Tribal Heritage Village, Vythiri
Various cultural programmes would be held from October 2 onwards at the Amphitheatre of En Uru from 4 pm to 6.30 pm every day till October 10. The programmes would be staged by various tribal cultural groups including Vayalela Folk Art Research Centre, Thudithalam, Sulthan Bathery, Vayalela music band, Nagamrutham ethnic art group and students of various residential tribal schools of the district.

To reach En Uru
En Uru tribal Heritage Village is close to the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookkode, Vythiri. The entry fee for En Uru is Rs 50 for adults and Rs 20 for children. The heritage village will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket counter in person or through the online platform . For more details, contact 9778783522.

2) Karappuzha Dam Garden
Apart from the Karappuzha Dam under the irrigation department, there is a garden, tourist facilities, parks and an adventure tourism centre. Entry to the programmes is free.
Programmes
October 3 - Magic show – 5 30 to 6 30 pm, Dance performance – 6 30 to 8 pm
October 4 - Violin Performance - 5 30 pm to 6 30 pm, Thudithalam music and dance – 6 30 pm to 7 30 pm
October 5- Kalarippayattu – 5 30 pm to 6 30 pm, Mentalism show- 6 30 pm to 7 30 pm

October 6 – DJ Evening 5 30 pm to 8 pm
October 7- Comedy show 5 30 pm to 7 30 pm
October 8-Thirayattam 5 30 pm to 7 30 pm
October 9- Folk song -Unarvu – 5 30 to 8
October 10- Folk song – 5 30 pm to 7 30 pm
October -11: DJ with liquid drums and chenda 5 30 to 7 30
October 12: Violin Fusion – 5 30 pm to 7 30 pm
October 13: Music Evening – Presto Forte, Kottayam 5 30 pm to 8 pm

Entry Fee to the Karappuzha Garden
Rs 30 for adults and Rs 10 for children (no restriction, counter sales)
Time - 9 am to 8 pm
How to reach: The Karapuzha Dam Garden is 5.8 km away from Kakkavayal town which is on the National Highway 722 between Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery.