The presence of iconic Meenakshi Temple, which almost made it into the list of Seven Wonders of the World. Jain vestiges that date back to the third century B.C. Thousands of years old rare inscriptions of ‘Vattezhuthu' and ‘Brahmi' script inscriptions. A majestic palace constructed by the illustrious king Tirumalai Naick that stands out as a wonderful example of Chettinad architecture over 400 years back
It is the presence of all this and much more that have earned Madurai the title ‘Athens of the East.'
An ancient city known as the cultural citadel of Tamil literature, it is among the few cities in the world that can boast of having a heritage dating back to over 2,500 years
And yet, in terms of the inflow of foreign tourists, it is no where near Greece, which gets its majority of visitors due to its ancient heritage sites. In fact, a tourism stake holder here says, several monuments in the Temple City are even older than what the Greece has.
And yet, where the Greeks manage to upstage Madurai was in the packaging and showcasing of their heritage.
This is an area that Madurai lagged behind. Despite glitzy campaigns such as ‘Incredible India' and ‘Enchanting Tamil Nadu,' the best advertisement a place could get was ‘word of mouth' publicly.' To get this, a place must ensure that visitors have a comfortable stay or at the minimum make sure they have a hassle-free trip.
“The people here in south are so sweet and always smiling. However, while the places are good, many sign boards are in local language,” Reeg Christine, a French tourist who is in Madurai after visiting Rajasthan and Puducherry. She will be heading to Kerala from here.
The temple and the palace in Madurai are really wonderful. The accommodation facilities were also good, she adds. The sight of women begging for alms with a baby in their hands really puts off people. These things must be curbed at least around tourist sites, adds Ohlmann Christine, her companion. The presence of a dedicate corps of Tourism Police could solve a lot of problems.
Also, many have expressed the need to establish a team of authorised guides who are trained on how to interact with foreign tourists.
Lack of hygiene, instance of fleecing by autorickshaw or taxi drivers, overcharging for souvenirs, and to top it all and the incessant begging menace are among the few things that give nightmares to foreign tourists and most of these problems afflict Madurai.
The main need, according to a tourism promoter with long experience in the southern districts, was to educate and train autorickshaw and taxi drivers, at least those in bus stands and railway junctions. They should be made to understand that fleecing foreigners would only hurt them in the long run as they would go back to their countries and tell their compatriots only their bad experiences. This would reduce tourists' inflow into the city.
The drivers must be told to wear uniforms at all times, keep their vehicles clean, sport a smile, and also know what events were happening in the city so that they could provide useful information to foreign tourists.
This would enable them earn additional money as tips.
The Tourist Department could also set up authorised shops for selling souvenirs so that foreigners could buy without the fear of being overcharged.
With Madurai all set to have an international airport, these measures have become all the more imperative rather than a luxury if the city is to reap the benefits of international connectivity.
