Mysuru: Mysureans and people from surrounding places, who are waiting for a tunnel aquarium which is yet to come up between Mysuru Zoo and Karanji Lake since a very long time, thronged the tunnel aquarium, displaying varieties of exotic fish along with common aquarium fish at Matsya Mela, organised as part of Dasara festivities by the Fisheries Department at J.K. Grounds here. This is for the first time that a Tunnel Aquarium has been set up in Mysuru for Dasara.

The Mela, which was inaugurated on Oct.12, has been drawing large crowds since then, with people irrespective of age thronging the Mela to have a look of some of the exotic fish which could be seen only here.

Mermaid Aquarium and Ponds, Bengaluru, has built the Tunnel Aquarium, using iron and Teflon glass and it took them five days to get the tunnel aquarium ready. The tunnel aquarium houses more than 50 varieties of fish which left the visitors spellbound as they watched fish swim above them.

Varieties of fish such as Silver Arowana, Discus, varieties of Cichlids, community fish such as Tiger Barb, Neon Tetra, Gouramies, Koi Carp, Goldfish and common aquarium fish such as Guppy, Molly, Sword Tail and other varieties are on display.

As Raitha Dasara and Mahila Dasara is being held at the same venue with a lot of stalls, huge rush was witnessed at J.K. Grounds and the organisers are taking the help of Police to prevent the glass tunnel from getting damaged due to heavy rush.

Apart from the Tunnel Aquarium, more than 40 regular aquariums are set up at the Matsya Mela venue.

This apart, the Fisheries Department is also providing information to fish farmers with an intention of educating them and also encourage them to take up fish farming. Stalls related to fish products and fishing accessories are also set up at the venue and resource persons are providing information about commercial fish rearing to fish farmers.

The Matsya Mela, which began from Oct.12, will conclude today and is open to the public from 9.30 am to 9 pm.