The three-day ‘Madurai Vizha' showcasing the rich heritage of the region got underway at the Gandhi Museum Grounds in the city on Friday.
The festival, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Madurai Zone, and Travel Club, Madurai, is aimed at creating awareness about the local tourism potential and knowledge of the traditional arts and crafts of the region, according to Ms Uma Kannan, Convenor, Tourism Panel, CII.
Mr C. Kamaraj, District Collector, who inaugurated the event, said 35,000 foreign tourists and 60 lakh domestic tourists have visited Madurai and the flow is bound to increase with Madurai airport becoming an international airport. He stressed on the need to sensitise and guide the youth on heritage as an identity.
He launched a Web site www.maduraitourism.info for the benefit of tourists on the occasion.
The highlights of the event included screening of films related to Madurai, narration of stories by senior citizens, folk dances, traditional games, display of books on Madurai, rare photos of Madurai, old artefacts, paintings in addition to competition in diverse fields.