With Idukki completing a century of human migration, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is set to commemorate it with a befitting memorial near the district headquarters.
The entrance to the memorial park will have a sculpture of ‘Kudiyetta Karshakan’ (settler farmer) similar to the ‘Kuravan Kurathi’ sculpture at Ramakkalmedu, a landmark at the tourism spot.
DTPC secretary Jayan P. Vijayan told The Hindu that the project aimed at exploring the tourism potential of Cheruthoni and the memorial park would come up on its 100 acres adjacent to the Idukki dam.
“There will be different monuments to explain settlements in the district in addition to the various phases of development in the earlier period,” he said adding that there would be sculptures of those who contributed to the history of the district.
Mr. Vijayan said with more tourists visiting Munnar and Wagamon, the DTPC was exploring the possibility of tapping the tourism potential of Cheruthoni.
There were many less-known tourism spots in and around Cheruthoni and the Tourism Department planned to make it a major tourism centre.
“The Hill View Park under the DTPC provides one of the best views of the Idukki dam and adjoining areas. With the completion of the memorial park, visitors will have more space to move around,” Mr. Vijayan said.
The work on the two accommodation facilities under the Tourism Department - Ecolog and Yatri Nivas - was in the final stage of construction.
At the memorial park, there would be photographs depicting early life in the district, cafeteria, resting places, laser theatre, and an exhibition of farm instruments in the early years.
There would be facilities to promote adventure tourism. The statues of settler leaders who led the early agitations would also come up at the park. Mr. Vijayan said the work on the memorial park was expected to start in January as the government had allotted ₹3 crore for the first phase of the ₹10-crore project.