Countering the busy city life, Thenmala – a town of tourist attraction near Punalur town, Kollam district in Kerala, is developed as an eco-tourism destination which is also one of the first tourist destinations in India to introduce the braille brochure for the visually challenged and the video brochure for the deaf.
The Thenmala Eco-tourism Promotion Society (TEPS) put effort to make the spot disabled-friendly and made it easier for the differently-abled persons to relish the destination and read up on the biodiversity of the place. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the special facilities.
In this notable attempt school children deserve the real applaud since the students of the Government School for the Blind, Vazhuthacaud had voluntarily prepared the 16-page braille brochure and about 150 braille brochures have been printed. Along with this around 275 video brochures in sign language has been created with the help of the Government VHSS for Deaf, Jagathy.
As stated by the project executive D Manoj Kumar, “It is not a new barrier-free concept as in 2001 itself, Thenmala Eco-tourism was made disabled-friendly. By introducing braille brochures and video brochures, we wanted more differently-abled people to visit Thenmala individually and enjoy nature like all other tourists.” The initiative is an effort to encourage the visually – impaired and hearing-impaired to visit Thenmala and make the state 100 per cent disabled-friendly.
This is not all, but TEPS is planning to introduce more initiatives which are both disabled-friendly and informative. According to a tourism official, “The Tourism Directorate’s objective is to make all the tourism centres disabled friendly and this is going to be achieved very soon.” Additionally the facilities such as ramps, wheelchairs and toilets in all tourist spots is also among the priorities of the tourism department.
Apart from its disabled-friendly concept, with an opulent natural beauty, Thenmala attracts foreign as well domestic tourists in good numbers. Its tourist attractions include boating in the lake, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and musical fountain etc. Palaruvi waterfall is also a prime attraction nearby. Proximately there is a deer rehabilitation center where visitors can spot deers in a forest setting and can have an experience of a traditional tree house used by forest dwellers to protect themselves from wild animals.
Thenmala can be accessible both from Trivandrum and Punalur by road. The Nearest railway station is Punalur. Kollam has a nationally well connected railway station as well.
