Over 2.25 lakh people have visited the 48th India Tourism and Industrial Trade Fair organised at Island Grounds in the city so far. Of this, around 1.84 lakh were adults and 40,000 were children.
The trade fair, as it is popularly known, was inaugurated on January 12 and will be on for a total of 45 days. It is open on all days from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sources in the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) said that on Republic Day alone, 30,000 people visited the various stalls put up by 49 State government departments and two belonging to the Central government.
“The fair is divided into two parts, the stalls and the various rides at the entertainment arena. Even those coming for just the rides make it a point to enter the department stalls,” an official said. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department stall has a replica of the Jambukeshwarar temple, and visitors are given prasadam.
The Integrated Child Development Service Scheme (ICDS) stall has a weighing scale and gives details of how to make sathu maavu for children. The stall of the Sports Department has a basketball hoop for visitors to use. At the Reserve Bank of India stall, one can exchange soiled notes. Children of various schools were brought to the fair to teach them about the various government departments and their functions.
