Parashurama Theme Park to be set up at Bailoor

Udupi: A theme park for Parashurama, with a 33ft bronze statue of the sixth incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu, will be set up on top of Umikkal Hill at Bailoor near Karkala in Udupi district.
The project is being taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore through the tourism department, in association with the Kannada and culture and other departments.
The theme park with state-of-the-art audio-visual museum, amphitheatre with 500 seats, a viewpoint on top of the 450 ft hill, history of Parashurama depicted through murals, and a restaurant, will be an addition to the cultural heritage of Karkala, which is historically famous for its 57 ft monolith Gomateshwara statue, Koti-Chennaya Theme Park, Attur St Lawrence Basilica and Jain basadis.
Tourism department assistant director Clifford Lobo told TOI, that the proposed park will be taken up through the Nirmiti Kendra of Udupi district. “The project will be taken up on priority, and it is expected to become one of the major tourist destinations in Karkala,” he said.
Arun Kumar, project director, Nirmiti Kendra, Udupi, said the preliminary work of the project has already begun. “The theme park is being set up on nearly 5 acres on top of the hill at Umikkal, located by the side of the national highway between Udupi and Karkala. It is a dream project of minister of energy, Kannada and culture V Sunil Kumar, for the overall development of tourism in Karkala. The project is being funded by the tourism department, which has already released Rs 65 lakh, and the work is being expedited,” he said.
Kumar said the theme park at Umikkal Hill will be a part of the ‘Swarna Karkala Swachha Karkala’ initiative aimed at promoting tourism in Karkala. “The theme park with a huge statue of Parashurama will be a befitting honour for the creator of Tulunadu,” he said.