Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD Lawmaker Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has urged the State Government to declare Chandilipahad, a beautiful mountain in Bolangir district, as a tourist destination.
Shri Singh Deo has recently written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida in this regard. Acting on his letter, the Tourism Department has asked Bolangir Collector to submit a report along with recommendation of the district level committee to accord tourism spot tag for the Chandilipahad.
Chandilipahad is located in Deogaon Block of Balangir Assembly Constituency area. The mountain carries the Historical and mythological importance related to the events of Mahabharat as well as Ramayan.
It accommodates the mythological spots like Sita kunda, Satya Bata Brukshya, Saptapheni Naga, Saptarushi Mandal and Gupta Ganga etc. along with more than 30 natural caves, Shri Singh Deo said.
Besides, Chandilipahad bears many rock inscriptions and stone images. A big water body known as Bhimkata (Meher Kata), abie to deliver different water sports like boating and swimming, exists 250 meters away from Chandilipahad, he said.
Above all, the presence of a dance forest provides a beautiful natural environment to the spot. In course of time, Chandilipahad has become a centre of tourism attraction. Large numbers of tourists are thronging to this tourist spot every day, he said, adding, “If this tourist spot is developed with modern infrastructure, this will have a bigger economic implication on the local people.”
The senior Lawmaker said the Tourism Department had sanctioned only Rs 1 crore for its various infrastructural development in the financial year 2023-24. However, this amount is not adequate to withstand the actual tourist pressure with its available infrastructures, he stated.
On behalf of the people of Bolangir, the senior Lawmaker demanded the government to declare Chandilipahad as a tourist destination and allocate a sum of Rs 10 crore for improvement of this existing importance of Chandilipahad.
The year 2024 has been a landmark year for Odisha, marked by transformative strides in governance, development, and global recognition. The Government has also taken vigorous and successful steps to promote growth and create employment for the citizens through tourism.
The government of India has also been giving emphasis for development of tourism in Odisha. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during Pravashi Bharatiya Diwas celebration urged all NRIs to bring at least four or five tourists to the state.
The State government has also taken all initiatives including revising the existing policies to make Odisha a top tourist destination of India.