Munnar Fest attracts crowd


The Munnar Fest, which was inaugurated at the Kanan Deven Hills Plantation (KDHP) ground in Old Munnar on Sunday is attracting huge crowd including foreign tourists. The week-long festival was arranged to showcase cultural programmes and providing the tourists an opportunity to enjoy traditional and local art forms in addition to find markets for local artefacts and organic produces including forest produces.


There are nearly 85 stalls arranged at the festival venue including those of police, forest, excise and tourism departments. One of the main stalls is that of the police where the organic cardamom and forest produces like ‘thelli', and honey collected by the tribal people of remote grama panchayat of Edamalakkudi is sold.


The organic cardamom is sold at Rs 750 per kilogram and it is one of the major items sold through the stalls. Cardamom is known for highest application of pesticide in plantations. However, the cardamom grown in Edamalakkudy is free of pesticide or fertiliser application as it is grown completely in the forest areas. “For the first time, the tribal farmers of Edamalakkudy got an opportunity for selling cardamom grown there in the open and familiarising the organic cardamom before a big audience,'' said a beat officer of the Janamaithri police in Edamalakkudy. The cardamom from Edamalakkudy was often sold below the market rate as the farmers are ignorant of its value in the markets. Though small in size, the organic cardamom has good demand among the consumers and the poor tribals are bound to get a remunerative price for it, he said.



The bamboo produce from the panchayat including mats and carry bags are also well received at the fest venue. The flower show and the products from small units and handicrafts items are attracting the visitors. The photo exhibition on Munnar in the yesteryear carries one to the British rule and the festivals and technological advancement during that time including the mono rail and the rope way, two modes of transportation then.


Devikulam sub-collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who is also the convenor of the organising committee told The Hindu that various cultural shows will also be held during in the coming days. “Tamil and Malayalam programmes giving importance to cultural integration are arranged and traditional art forms will entertain the audience,'' he said and added that the festival was arranged in Munnar with the aim to tap the vast tourism potential. Rain-proof arrangements are done and enough space is provided to each stalls.

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