The Department of Horticulture has set up its first park on a nine-acre plot on the girivalam path near Arunachaleswarar temple, mainly to cater to foreign tourists.
Officials said that among major towns like Vandavasi, Arani and Chengam in the district, Tiruvannamalai was chosen mainly due to more footfall of visitors, especially foreign travellers. Currently, the town has around eight parks, which are maintained by Tiruvannamalai municipality. However, these parks are small with less facilities and meant mainly for children.
Along with botanists and horticulture officials, Collector B. Murugesh inspected the new park which will be opened by Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu on August 8. “Facilities in the new park are being created, based on the expectations of foreign tourists as they like to spend quality time in a large space with less noise,” T. Anbarasu, Assistant Director (AD), Department of Horticulture (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.
Located on the fringes of Adi Annamalai reserve forest (RF) at the foot of Annamalai Hills, the ₹1 crore-park has a large lush green lawn on a one-acre plot, a meditation centre that can accommodate at least 40-50 persons, a 1.1 km-long tiled walking track, seating arrangements, purified water supply, toilets, rainwater harvesting system, CCTV cameras.
A separate space for children to play with modern equipment is also created in the new park. Specialised tracks and ramps for persons with disabilities form part of the new facility. A photo exhibition on bird species will also be displayed in the park for children. Most of the lights in the park will be solar powered. Steel wire fencing will be put up around the park to prevent wild animals, especially spotted deer, from entering the new facility. The nearby RF is a habitat for more than 4,500 spotted deer.
Above all, more than 80 varieties of plant species, mainly from Jawadhu Hills, in the new park will be a major attraction especially for foreign tourists. Some of the plant species in the park includes Mahua, Sacred tree, Indian Kino, Candolleana, Chinese chaste tree, Soapnut, Peacock chaste tree, Crocodile Bark tree, Vennangu, Malai Poovarasu, Coromandel ebony, Snake Wood, Ceylon Tea, Maghavilvam, Bael, Wood Apple and Yellow Teak. The hedge plant in the park will be the flowering plant, Clerodendrum.
Once opened, the park can be accessed between 9 a.m and 6 p.m on all days including Sundays, horticulture officials said.
