Now, a 'Ponniyin Selvan' trail as hype around film spills into tourism

Tamil Nadu is in the midst of a Ponniyin Selvan fever, and state government departments are not immune to it.

Ahead of the September 30 release of Mani Ratnam’s mega film, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has come up with a tour package covering the places that figure significantly in the history of the Chola kingdom.

The film, based on a historical fiction by the same title penned by Kalki Krishnamurthy, has created a huge hype through its trailer and first single release. The second single was released on Friday, August 19.

Also read: Ponniyan Selvan: Lyrics are ho-hum, say critics; what kept Vairamuthu out?

The pan-Indian multi-starrer, for which AR Rahman has written the music, will release in Tamil, with dubbed versions in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. Karthi, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai and Trisha are the lead actors.

Tour from September 15

Capitalising on the craze, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has launched a three-day, two-night package tour named ‘A historical trail of Ponniyin Selvan’.  The announcement was made on August 15 through the social media handles of the department. The tour will start on September 15.

The tour starts from Chennai and trails through Mamallapuram, Veeranarayanapuram, Melakadambur, Pazhavoor, Kumbakonam, Thirupparambiyam, Pazhaiyarai, Patteeswaram, Thiruvaiyaru, Darasuram, Thanjavur, Kodikkarai and Nagapattinam, the end point. The tourists will then be brought back to Chennai.

Starting from Chennai, the tourists are taken to Veeranam lake, Melakadambur, Kollidam river and Pazhavoor on the first day. On day two, they tour in and around Kumbakonam and then Thanjavur. On the final day, they will be taken to Kodikkarai and Nagapattinam. All these places played a significant role not only in the fiction but also in the history of the Chola kingdom.

Accommodation included

“The tourists will be given lodging in the hotels run by the tourism department. The 26-seater air-conditioned vehicles will be used for travel and sightseeing” said a TTDC official. The tour package costs Rs 11,050 per head for triple occupancy lodging, Rs 11,950 for twin sharing and Rs 15,350 for single occupancy.

The tour will have a curator well-versed with the novel, said Venkatesan, tour manager, TTDC.

“This is not a one-time tour. If it receives a good response, we plan to continue with the tour package… there is no maximum limit on people taking part in the tour. However, the minimum number required is 10,” he said.

Going by the hype around the film, and the surge in post-COVID revenge travel, TTDC may have its hands full.

Also read: Karthi speaks on Viruman, Ponniyin Selvan, and why he could not do Vikram