Pillala Marri Park inaugurated

Mahabubnagar: The renowned Pillala Marri (Banyan) tree in Mahabubnagar is thrown open to the public following its inauguration of the long defunct 3 acre Pillala Marri park by tourism, excise, prohibition, and culture minister Jupalli Krishna Rao on Wednesday. The minister also announced an allocation of Rs 5 crore for the development of tourism in Mahabubnagar district.

Minister Krishna Rao highlighted the state government’s commitment to developing tourism to match global standards. “We are determined to advance tourism in Telangana with the same vigor seen in western countries. To this effect, we are allocating Rs 5 crore immediately for the development of tourism infrastructure in Mahabubnagar,” he said. In addition to the Pillala Marri tree, the minister announced plans to establish a comprehensive tourism circuit in the district. This circuit will include popular destinations such as the Nallamala Sanctuary, Mallela Theertham, Somashila, Saralasagar, and Koil Sagar. “The 150 km stretch of the Krishna River in Mahabubnagar will be leveraged for water sports and boating activities,” he informed. He also emphasised the need to promote both eco-tourism and temple tourism, with ongoing efforts to develop tourism through public-private partnerships.

In fact, earlier, the Pillala Marri Banyan Tree was kept away from public due to the poor condition of the tree. Many aged barks and branches of the tree were destroyed due to termite attack and physical damage. However, following the initiative of the then District Collector Ronald Rose, the tree was treated with saline and pesticides, as it was infested with termites and pests damanging the larger part of the 800 year old tree. And now as the tree has recovered.

“We are really happy to see that the popular pillala Marri tree is once again made accessible for the public.