Eco Park (Aruvi Poonga), Courtallam, Thirunelveli
The Eco
Park is located near Five Falls (Aintharuvi) in Courtallam in Thirunelveli
District of Tamilnadu. It is also known as ‘Aruvi Poonga’. This Eco Park has
been set up over an extent of 37.23 acres at a cost of Rs.5.73 crore. It is
touted to be the State’s biggest eco-park. This park is located adjacent to the
famous ‘Five Falls. The farm belonging to the Tamil Nadu Horticulture
Development Agency (TANHODA) has been converted to accommodate the park.
Some of
the attractive features of the park are adventure-play area, sunken garden,
fern garden, royal drive, bamboo avenue, rock garden, children play area,
murals, butterfly garden, eco pond and stream walk. The Eco Park, known as
‘Aruvi Poonga’, has been established on the 37 acre Horticulture Farm premises
near Five Falls with the prime objective of creating awareness on the public on
conserving the highly rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats and its highly
delicate ecosystem.
Specialty
of this new facility is that the existing landscape of the Horticulture Farm
and its environment has been completely retained while new attractions have
been created to lure the visitors. While the eastern boundary of this park is
the stream rustling down from the height to reach Five Falls, the elevated
western boundary has a range of gardens to add more colour to the Western
Ghats.
The
statues, concrete murals, broad tiled differently-abled-friendly walkers’ path,
sprawling open food court on the northern boundary of the garden and above all,
the cool and unpolluted air of the Eco Park will certainly attract huge crowd
throughout the year. The entire area of the park, which has been illuminated
with colourful lights, has been meticulously used by creating different gardens
for sculpture, fern, butterfly, rose, bamboo, rock, lotus and lily, herbal
plants, aromatic plants etc. and fountains and children’s play area.
The
highest point of the park has a ‘View Tower’ from which one can see the entire
stretch between Tenkasi and famous Thirumalai Murugan Temple. At no place of
this park, electricity is being used to take water to nourish the plants as the
land’s gradient has been used to effectively distribute water to all parts of
‘Aruvi Poonga’ through drip irrigation. It also has a food court constructed
for the purpose of refreshment of the visitors.
Apart
from acting as a recreational centre, this park is also a great learning centre
for students. Also, the farms of this park have educational and commercial
significance. They act as demonstration centers and guide for such purposes. Eco
Park is situated 5 Kms away from the bus stand in the western side of the
hills.