More than a study tour

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IF the government has its way, Kota is going to emerge as more than just a small town in Rajasthan. 8216;Kerala of the West,8217; is the punchline the district government has in mind as it plans to promote the area of Kota, clubbed with the adjoining Boondi, as a major eco-tourism destination.

For Kota, an area that has rich reserves of water locals actually receive a 24 hour water supply, and is already a major hub for education, this can only be good news. The plan is to introduce rock climbing, sightseeing and camping in areas like the Jawahar Sagar Dam wildlife sanctuary, the Kota Barrage along the Chambal river and the forts of Boondi.

The idea is also to also banish the fear of the Chambal area that lives on in popular imagination8212;that the area is the den of dacoits. And the excitement that the word Chambal generates, especially with the river being full of crocodiles, might just end up being the USP of the area.

The local government is planning a promotional festival in February coinciding with the Camel festival in the state, tentatively called the Chambal festival, as a curtain raiser to the eco-tourism activities planned in the area.

8216;8216;This district is completely free of any problems like dacoits,8217;8217; says Niranjan Arya, Collector of the area. 8216;8216;The landscape of Kota, along the Chambal river, is lush and very different from the rest of the state, because of the availability of water. The backwaters of the Chambal river, till now untapped, are like the unexpected Kerala of the West. Kota does not have too many forts but we are looking at clubbing Boondi, which has forts and Kota8217;s natural beauty as a tourism package,8217;8217; he adds.

The government is also targetting Kota8217;s prominent student-parent population as tourists. Private tuitions in Kota is a large industry that according to authorities estimates, touches 500 crore per year. About 50,000 students take private engineering and medical coaching classes here, of which nearly 30 per cent are outstation students.

And the industry is only growing. Recently, coaching centres have also branched out to the class XI-XII level also previously, classes were held only after class XII. 8216;8216;Parents who come to the town to visit their children and have nothing to do during the day are the ideal market waiting to be tapped,8217;8217; says Arya. Currently, 12,000 tourists visit the town annually.

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8216;8216;Kota is a valuable place to stay in because of the high level of education here,8217;8217; says Arti Gupta, a resident of Kota who enrolled with Kota8217;s Allen coaching centre and successfully completed her MBBS. 8216;8216;Kota has already made a mark as an educational destination, and tourism will value-add to the area,8217;8217; she points out.

If all goes well, the value addition will be fruitful.