CHENNAI: Following the requests from tourists visiting Kanniyakumari , the district collector has extended the timings of boat riding by two hours everyday, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
The Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the 133-foot-tall Thiruvalluvar statue, located off the coast of Kanniyakumari, continue to remain as the most popular tourist attractions in the coastal town. A glass bridge connecting these two structures which was recently opened has also been drawing more visitors during the summer season.
To accommodate the increasing number of tourists, the Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates ferry services from the mainland to the rocks. Initially, three boats - Pothigai, Guhan and Vivekananda - were deployed, but currently, one ferry is under maintenance.
The ferry service was initially available from 8 am to 4 pm. Due to the surge in tourist footfall, the operating hours were extended by an hour, starting from 7 am instead of 8 am. However, tourists arriving after 4 pm were unable to visit the glass bridge, prompting demands for further extension of ferry hours. Following this, Kanniyakumaridistrict collector R Alagumeena intervened, and the operating hours were extended until 5 pm.
Following this, over 1.25 lakh tourists have visited the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar statue in the past 11 days. The ferry service continues to operate from 7 am to 5 pm, with many tourists visiting the attractions during the extended time.