As part of the B.Ed curriculum, a field tripwas organized by GCTE Thiruvananthapuram for the second semester students on 26 September 2023. The destinations included Neyyar Dam and Aquarium Complex-Neyyar Eco Tourism, Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre and Koyikkal Palace. The students andteachers of English, Hindi, Tamil, Sanksrit and Social Science departments participated in the field trip. Everyone was asked to reach the college at 9:30 am.
There were some confusions regarding the arrangements and the trip was delayed by over an hour. Santhosh Sir, Kumar Sir, Shiba Teacher and Jayakrishna Teacher accompanied us.
The first destination was Neyyar EcoTourism.The Neyyar wildlife sanctuary was set up in 1958 and it is covered with around 12,000 hectares of vegetation. It has a wide variety of flora and fauna. The vegetation consists of tropical evergreen, mixed deciduous, sub tropical savannahs etc. It acts as drainage for the Neyyar River and the tributaries Mullayar and Kallar. The peak Agasthyamalai which has a height of 1890 m lies in this park. This peak has a large variety of plant species which includes medicinal plants and rare orchids. The animals found here include Elephants, Sloth bear, Nilgiri Tahr, Python etc. The major points of attraction are Neyyar Dam, Lion safari park, Crocodile park, Deer rehabilitation park etc. We shot pictures and had a good time there.
The next destination was Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre. Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre located near Kappukadu in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala is an elephant sanctuary and rehabilitation centre. Started in 2006 as an elephant sanctuary, the Kerala government announced a project in 2019 to expand it as an elephant rehabilitation centre with international standards. When completed, it will become the largest rehabilitation centre for the elephants in the world. It is also the first rehabilitation centre for elephants in India, constructed at an estimated cost of ₹105 crores. The centre is spread across 176 hectares of forest and is said to include fifty habitats surrounded by steel pillars and steel nets that allow elephants to live in their natural habitat, an elephant museum, a veterinary hospital with super specialty facilities, a research center for nature lovers and students, training center for mahouts, facilities for visitors, entrance plaza, administrative office, cottages, spacious convention center, amphitheater, various reservoirs, training facilities for baby elephants, a kitchen for cooking elephant foods, a feeding area, a post mortem facility for cremation including tamed elephants, a paper making unit from elephant dung and quarters and dormitories for mahouts to stay with their families. The experience was something new. We shared tapioca, chutney and coffee sponsored by the teachers and enjoyed the time.
The final destination was Koyikkal Palace.
Koyikkal Palace, situated at a distance of 18 km from Kerala’s capital city of
Thiruvananthapuram, is an important tourist attraction where history slumbers in all its
pristine glory. The palace is a double-storey building, built in the conventional nalukettu
architectural style of Kerala with sloping gabled roofs, and large rooms built around an
open central courtyard. It is a 17th century building, built as a residential palace for
Umayamma Rani, the regent of Venad (Kingdom of Quilon), who ruled from the year
1677 to 1684. It was later converted into a museum complex housing several objects of
historical importance. The Numismatics Museum and Folkore Museum offered glimpses into the past. This coupled with the descriptions by the guide helped us have a deeper understanding.
The trip ended by 5 pm.
