Coimbatore :

Valparai has been in festive mood since the Kodai Vizha opened in the tea town on May 30. Though meant to showcase the town as a tourist destination, the local population dominated the crowd that had gathered at the government high school. A host of events mirroring the summer fest in Ooty including dog show, flower show, gymnastics performances, music and magic kept the crowd entertained.

By Saturday noon the place was swarming with people as tea estates in the region and the district administration had declared a holiday. “There is not much opportunity for the estate employees to go out of Valparai and such events are the only mode of entertainment for them and their family,” said an official involved in organizing the event.

A tent was raised on the school’s playground and classrooms were converted into stalls with exhibits displayed by various departments of the state government. “The traffic exhibit has a mini theatre that screens short films on road safety with clips taken from CCTVs installed at the traffic signals. It is good way of helping youngsters understand traffic regulations,” said Sreenivasan M, 36, a tourist from Madurai, who was rushing to the playground to catch a glimpse of the gymnastic show.

The forest department showcased the wildlife of Anamalai Tiger Reserve and had put up charts about snakes in the Western Ghats. Stalls from the horticulture department, TANTEA (Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation Limited) and the health department were more about showcasing their activities.

Of course, food was available in plenty. From savouries to biriyani, everything was available at the more than 10 food stalls at the venue. “I earn nearly Rs500 on a normal day. But, yesterday (Friday) I earned 60% more than the regular,” said Chandrashekar B, a savoury lentils vendor.

The crowd-puller this year was the paragliding event. “We have got permission only for two days and the kind of enthusiasm among the tourists, especially small children, is amazing. I feel bad when I say no to a kid who weighs less than 40kg,” said Babu, a glider from Coimbatore, who was in-charge of the adventure sport. “We had planned for zorbing ball, parasailing and paragliding. But, we did not get permission from the forest department. Paragliding was organized after the district administration took responsibility for security,” said Babu.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Adarsh Jain, TNN / June 01st, 2014