Issue 2 1 | March 2015 43

Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 3 | Issue 2 1 | March 2015 43

Unexploited tourism Potential in Manora – A. Study S.Sudha, Research Scholar, Department of History, A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam college (Autonomous). Poondi. Post, 613503, Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu and Dr.V.Ravichandran, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam college (Autonomous). Poondi. Post, 613503, Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu.

Tourism is one of the largest industries of the developing countries with fastest expansion in its range and dimension. It is an industry with great employment potential.1 It plays an important part in a nation’s economy by providing the opportunities for regional employment, contributing to the balance of payments and helping economic growth.2 Today tourism is a global industry3 and also a vast and complicated industry.4 It is a continuous age – old human activity and at present travelling has become very fast for it is the age of automation. The satisfaction of the insatiable human curiosity is one of the many urges prompting individuals and groups to see and what on the other side is.5 Emergence of tourism as a major industry is one of the most remarkable changes that have taken place in the economic activity in the post world war era. Being the third largest economic activity in the world, next only to oil and motor vehicles, it is one of the fastest growing sectors of economic activity.6 In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India and a great statesman, ‘the whole purpose of travel is to remove parochialism in our thought and in approach to the external world’. Travel is a powerful factor in helping to reduce difficulties in the way of people coming together, we should look at all.

The Manora fort is situated 65 km away from Thanjavur, It located in Tamil Nadu famous for its beautiful design and architecture. The fort was built by Maratha ruler Serfoji II in 1814–1815 to commemorate the successful advance of the British over Napoleon Bonaparte. It is an 8-storied, hexagonal tower, which is 23- meters high overlooking the Bay of Bengal. The fort derives its name Manora, from the word Minaret.7 In December 2004, five monuments including the fort were damaged in the Indian Ocean Tsunami.8

The fort was built by Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1777-1832 CE) in 1814–1815 to commemorate the successful advance of the British over Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.9 The fort acted as a residence for the royal family and also as a light house. A stone inscription reads “a friend and ally of the British to commemorate triumphs of British Arms and downfall of Bonaparte.10The monument looks like a pagoda, with arched windows, circular staircase and eaves separating one storey from the other.11 The dedication of the light house at Manora near Mallipattinam in Thanjavur district to the nation has widened the prospect of putting this iconic place on the map as a tourist hub. With greenery and lawns, the light house itself can attract a large number of visitors.

The octagonal, 45-metre high light house with a luminous range of 21 nautical miles has ushered in a new look to the place. According to Manmohan Singh Suman, Director General of Light Houses and Light Ships, for the first time in an Indian light house, vertical colour bands were used as day mark at Manora.

The lantern has a diameter of 2.4 meters. The equipment used is MBR-300 Rotating Beacon. Illuminant is 12V/100-watt halogen lamp, which will flash white every five seconds. Light house guides the ships in the open sea against the danger of rocks, shallow water and wrecks in a region with the help of powerful light beams during night and by its shape and colour during day time. Light house officials said in the ancient times, mariners used to depend upon birds, individual skills and knowledge of local condition for a safe voyage. Over a period of time, important landmarks came into practice. During night, the method was to burn firewood or coal on high pinnacles of rocks or mountains flanking the coastline. On the similar lines, first known light house Pharos was built during third century B.C at the Port of Alexandriya on the coastal line of Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. In the eighth century A.D. the Cholas had built a beautiful light house at Kaveripoompattinam (Poompuhar), descriptions of which are found in Silapathikaram.

Other factors favouring Manora is the calm sea which can be used for water sports like surfing and boating, and coconut groves. "Steps taken by the tourism department in the past to make Manora an attractive tourist spot are yet to bear any fruit. Now, it is the time to exploit its potential," people of Manora and Pattukottai said. A historical important tourist spot with a serene atmosphere and scenic beauty, with a calm Bay of Bengal surrounding it, is not fully exploited in Tanjore district. The place is Manora, located 20 km south of Pattukottai in Sethubhavachatram panchayat union in Tanjore district.

ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259, ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739 Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 3 | Issue 2 1 | March 2015 44

The place derives its name from the fort built here by King Serfoji who ruled Tanjore. The fort is called Manora, a derivative of the Minars of North Indian architecture. The 140 ft monument stands majestically on the shore amidst lush green coconut groves. Looking like an ancient lighthouse, the tower was built by King Serfoji in 1811 to commemorate the victory of the British army over Napolean Bonaparte, in the historic battle of Waterloo. The hexagonal shaped ten storeyed fort has a moat around it. Each story of the tower offers a different view of the sea, fishing boats and coconut groves. The Maratha Kings used the fort as a summer palace. The moat with sea water is provided with drainage facility. Rest sheds surround the moat; soldiers who used to guard the fort stayed in these sheds. Hanging lasers were used to reach the other side of the moat.

Graffiti on the walls of the fort has defaced it. Some of the portions have given way and the sheds are not clean. The sea water in the moat is highly polluted. Though the fort was declared as a monument and handed over to the Tamil Nadu Archaeological department, little had been done by the department to protect the monument. Now the Government has sanctioned Rs. 6 lakhs for the work which the Department of culture will take up. The tourism department is very keen to develop the place into a tourist spot.

According to Mr. R.Sekar, Tanjore district officer, Department of Tourism, a plan has been prepared to develop the place into a water sports and seaside resort centre. The proposal has been sent to the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan foundation for getting aid under the Integrated Coastal Area development scheme. 12

Mr. R.Seakar said that the sea was suitable for wind surfing riding water scooters and developing various water sports. The sea is not rough at Manora as it takes a turn at Point Calimere and enters the Palk Strait. A beach resort around the fort would attract a lot of tourists to the place; the fort has approach roads. If the buses plying on the East Coast road which is one km from the fort are diverted to Manora it would solve the transport problem. It would also help a hundred families of fishermen who live near the fort in a colony. After Nagapattinam district was bifurcated from Tanjore, the parent district is left only with Manora for a beach resort. It is felt it developed properly it would serve the people of Trichy, Pudukottai and Tanjore districts and also foreign tourists visiting Tanjore. Now those who live around Manora as well as school children visit the place on holidays.

The significance of a tourist destination is determined by the following important three factors – Attractive, Accessibility and Amenities. The attraction may be site attraction or event attraction. Site attraction refers to places bearing climate, scenario and historical significance. Even attraction refers to the particular event which has occurred in a place that attracts the tourists. Peter (1969) has drawn up an inventory of the various attractions which are of significant in tourism. His five categories are given below.13 Accessibility is a function of distance from centers of population and external transport and communication, which enable a destination to be reached. Tourist attraction of whatever type would be of little importance if their locations were inaccessible by the normal means of transport. Amenities at the destination comprise of accommodation, catering, entertainment as well as internal transport and communication, which enable the tourist to move around during their stay.14

During the study it is learn that pleasure and recreation are the main purpose of the visit of tourist in the area. Hence steps to provide recreational and entrainment facilities will have to be given top priority. Tourist information centre should be established to provide information about facilities and needs of tourist. A good network of transport system should be established here, frequency of bus service to the Manora will be helpful to the tourist. A modernized and economical ferry transport system is needed for promoting Tourism. A satisfied visitor is the best public agent. The levels of guest satisfaction achieve by the different accommodation facilities; determine the total success of tourism. Most of the respondents stated that they want to stay in Manora but no facilities available in Manora; it should be included in accommodation facilities.

ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259, ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739 Aayvagam an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research | Volume No. 3 | Issue 2 1 | March 2015 45

References

1. Mohanty, Pragati, Hotel Industry and Tourism in India, Ashish Publishing house, New Delhi, 1992, Page. No: 7. 2. J.Christopher Holloway, The Business of Tourism, Macdonald and Evans, Plymouth, U.K.1985, Page. No: 221. 3. D.souza, Mario, Tourism Development and Management, Mangal Deep Publications, Jaipur 1998, Page. No: 6. 4. I bid, Page. No: 24. 5. Dean Maccannell, The Tourist, The Macmillan Press, Newyork, 1976, Page. No: 10. 6. R.N.Batta, Tourism and Environment – A quest for Sustainability, New Delhi, 000, Page. No: 13 7. Joshi, G.V. (15 February 2003). "Victory Tower". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 April 2008. 8. Ramakrishnan, T. (7 January 2005). "Mughal-era fort, Dutch tombs damaged". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 April 2008. 9. Srinivasan, G. (19 September 2007). "Manora fort to get a facelift". The Hindu: Tamil Nadu News. Retrieved 2013-07-07 10. "Manora - Sarabendraraja Pattinam". Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu. retrieved 2013-07-07. 11. Gerald, Olympia Shilpa (29 March 2012). "Hidden 100: Fort on the coast". The Hindu. Retrieved 2013-07-07. 12. Direct interview with R.Seakar Distict Tourist officer on 12.2.15 13. Jayewardene-Pillai, Shanti (2007). Imperial Conversations: Indo-Britons and the Architecture of South India. Yoda Press. p. 229. ISBN 9788190363426. 14. "What to see - Thanjavur district attractions". Thanjavur District Administration. Retrieved 2013- 07-07. 15. Yashodhara Jain, Tourism Development – Problems and Prospects, A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1998, PP: 3 – 4.

ISSN (Online): 2321 – 5259, ISSN (Print): 2321 – 5739