Though Puducherry has earned the reputation of being a popular weekend getaway, tourists are often surprised at the lack of recreational centres in the town. Therefore, most people who visit the town as tourists, especially the middle income group, do not stay for more than a couple of days, arguing that there are not enough places to visit.

In order to ensure that visitors stay longer and spend more while they are here, the Department of Tourism has decided to improve all potential tourist spots, making them eventually full-fledged “tourist centres.” The first, and perhaps the most important among these projects, is the development of the archaeological site of Arikamedu.

Considered one of the most ancient and significant archaeological sites in South India, Arikamedu was discovered in the early 1900s and subsequently excavated by European archaeologists, the most famous among them being Mortimer Wheeler.

As mentioned by Wheeler himself in several of his writings on the site, the Tamil village of Arikamedu was an ancient Chola port with trade connections with the Romans. Over the years, many exquisite artefacts were discovered and the site was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Director of Tourism, A.S. Sivakumar, says that the current project, estimated at Rs. 100 crore, would involve developing the area around the site into a major tourist attraction.

The components of the project would include an on-site museum which is expected to display all the artefacts excavated from the site. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation, which has been entrusted with the job of putting in place these components, would also develop an open-air theatre near the site that would host “sound and light shows” explaining the significance of the place, in particular, and Puducherry, in general.

Other ideas that have received approval include a birds' park, as a number of migratory birds visit the area in the winter, and a natural history museum.

Also, to improve connectivity to the site, the department would build a boat jetty and start boating services on the backwaters nearby. “‘Stay beyond the weekend' is the theme behind this project. We cannot call ourselves a tourist destination unless we succeed in making visitors have a good time when they come,” says Sivakumar.

The ASI has approved the proposals of the department and asked the developers to leave a 100-metre buffer zone to ensure zero damage to the main site. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Author: Sruthisagar Yamunan | Source: The Hindu [March 19, 2011]