After the success of budget tours to tourist centres, the Kerala State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) is launching pilgrimage bus services from December 20.
The KSRTC buses of Alappuzha depot will start ferrying pilgrims to Thiruvairanikkulam temple near Kalady in Ernakulam district after its tourist services to Munnar and Malakkapara were well-received by the travellers. The corporation will start running the services from Alappuzha to coincide with the ‘nadathurappu’ festival of the temple. It may be noted that the ‘nadathurappu’ festival marks the opening of the sanctum sanctorum of goddess Parvathy, which is opened only for 12 days in a year.
The 50-seater bus will start service at 6am and have stopovers at Vaikom and Chottanikara temples and will return to Alappuzha at 3pm. The passenger fare is Rs 350. Plans are anvil to start more services to pilgrimage centers as per the demand.
KSRTC’s new initiatives elicited good response from the public in almost districts and the corporation is chalking out plans to start trips to other tourist destinations, said the authorities concerned.