Palamuru loses tourists destinations

Mahabubnagar: The Mahabubnagar district, which was once regarded as ‘Tourists Paradise’ with numerous tourist destinations, is now just left over with just one prominent tourist attraction Pillalamarri. The district administration is striving hard to regain its lost glory and as part of its efforts to bring the district on the tourists radar, they are developing ‘Mayuri’, as one of the leading tourist attractions in the district.

Mayuri and Pillalamarri are the only tourists attractions that are emerging as two popular tourist destinations in Mahabubnagar district. Unfortunately, after the division of erstwhile Mahabubnagar into four districts of Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and residual Mahabubnagar, the parent Mahabubnagar had lost the major chunck of popular tourists and pilgrim destinations like Jurala Reservoir, Jogulamaba Temple to Gadwal district, Saleshwaram, Somashila, Singotam Temples along with a historic forts like Kollapur Kota and other tourist attractions along the banks of River Krishna River to Nagarkurnool district, Wanaparthy Kota, Pangal Kota, Khila Ghanpuram Kota and Srirangapur temple and other historic constructions to Wanaparthy distirct.

“Though Mahabubnagar district have lost various historic attractions to other districts after reorganisation of districts in the State, we have abundant resources and lot of other places in the district which can be upgraded and developed into popular tourism destinations. For instance, Pillalamarri is already a popular destination attracting tourists from far-away areas. The recent intiatives by the State government to make Mayuri as one of the largest Eco-Tourism Zones in the State, is also paying off, attracting thousands of tourists every week.

However, just developing these two destiinations is not enough, we still have to identify many popular temples, historic places and develop a comprehensive toursim policy to promote and propagate on a regular basis to make Mahabubngar a popular Tourism destination,” opined a Senior Tourism Official in the district. “Bifurcation of the erstwhile Mahabubnagar has left it at a great disadvantage tourismwise.

In fact, one can say the district has lost many tourist attractions and is left only with the defunct and poorly maintained Pillalamarri as its prominent tourist attraction,” says a tourist Ram Mohan Reddy at Pillalamarri. As it is prominently known, Pillalamarri, the 400-year old Banyan tree, has always been the signature logo of Mahabubnagar distirct. But alas to the disappointment of tourists, the once popular tourists spot is fast loosing its sheen with poor maintainance.

Except for the tree, an archeological museum, the bird cage, fish acquarium and a deer park, there are no additional attractions added to it over the years. Rather, the popular destination in the district is crying for maintainance and upgradation. Though recently the district adminstration and Telangana tourism officails have started revamping the dying pillalamarri tree, this initiative may not stand sustainable if there is no proper coordination and cooperation among the forest, archeology and Telangana tourism departments.

Except for Mayuri, which is spread across over 2000 hectares and is being fast developing as the next top leading tourist destination in the distirct, it is high time the district administration carve a comprehensive tourism development policy, identify many more major temples and historic places and renovate them to highlight them as major tourism destiantions and regain the district its lost glory.