‘Uru tourism’ set to sail in north Malabar backwaters

KANNUR: With the state government planning to open the West Coast Canal next year, which is expected to boost the tourism sector in the state, especially Malabar region, state-owned tourism promoter Bekal Resorts Development Corporation Ltd (BRDC) is planning to launch a new endeavour, ‘Uru Tourism’, which would provide an opportunity for tourists to explore the culture and history of north Malabar by sailing across the backwaters in a dhow (uru).
“The new tourism project has been envisioned as one which would offer a rich experience to travellers by stringing together cultural, historic, art with other elements of Malabar,” said managing director of BRDC T K Manzoor, adding that the project, which would also introduce art forms of north Kerala along with tribal art, would be launched by December.
“Along with the art forms of the north Malabar, such as the ‘yakshaganam’, ‘duffmuttu’, ‘pavakali’, ‘kolkali’, ‘alamikkali’ and ‘oppana’, tribal art such as ‘mangalam kali’, ‘eruthu kali’, ‘man kali’ would also be performed by artists so as to offer the travellers a peek into the rich cultural milieu of the state,” Manzoor said.
Traditional culinary delights of the land will also be offered in the package, and travellers would be taken on a journey through the heritage of the state, including trips to sacred groves, forts, temples, churches and mosques, he said. “The package also lets travellers explore the rich biodiversity of the state, natural medicine, and experience village life as well.”
Other heritage monuments and historic sites would be introduced through narratives and visual tools.
Though houseboat tourism is prevalent, backwater tourism through uru is a first of a kind offering in the state, said BRDC, which has introduced many experiential tourism projects with its SMiLE tourism project, with the participation of local entrepreneurs.
“The uru, which is being arranged by the BRDC, can accommodate more than 50 people, and it has been approved during a director board meeting in Thiruvananthapuram which was presided over by chief secretary Tom Jose,” Manzoor said .
Uru, which corresponds to the traditional shipbuilding culture of Kerala, plays a major role in the state’s history. It is constructed without any blueprints and is created by expert craftsmen, who use only locally available equipment, and even now it is considered an architectural marvel around the world.
With this, it also aims to preserve this shipbuilding culture, which is now a disappearing art, and travellers would be given a glimpse into the making of the vessel, its history and significance, said BRDC.