Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged the Centre to sanction a special package for the development of tourism infrastructure and facilities in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.
Describing tourism and hospitality as one of the hardest hit sectors due to Covid-19, Dharmendra said now it is time for unleashing massive growth in the tourism because of strong domestic spending and unrestricted movement of air traffic.
“Under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, your Ministry has undertaken massive efforts towards increasing tourist footfalls through the development of tourist facilities and infrastructure,” he said in a letter to Union Cultute and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy.
This has not only generated appreciation from citizens but has also resulted in a massive increase in footfalls from both domestic and international tourists, the senior BJP lader said.
“I want to take this opportunity of highlighting the massive potential for tourism development in the historically ignored Dhenkanal of Odisha, which is classified as an Aspirational District, for accelerated socio-economic development with monitoring by the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.
Tourism is well-known as a force multiplier for socio-economic development, especially for generating livelihood at the grassroots level, he said.
Noting that Dhenkanal is 60 km from Cuttack and 90 km from Bhubaneswar, Dharmendra said It is believed that Dhenkanal district owes name to a Savara chief named ‘DHENKA’ who formerly ruled over this tract.
Dhenkanal is enormously rich in natural scenic beauty that attracted tourists around the year, while several tourist places in the district like Kapilash Hills, Joranda, Saptasajya and Dhenkanal Palace have huge potential for tourism development.
The Chandrashekhar Mahadev temple is situated on the top of Kapilash hill which draws lakhs of pilgrims on Shivratri and is also known as Kailash Parvat, the legendary abode of the Lord. The famous Joranda shrine houses the samadhi of Mahima Gosain, the preacher and profounder of the Mahima cult. The other sacred temples here include Sunya Mandira, Dhuni Mandira and Gadi Mandira. Pilgrims in large numbers pour into Joranda fair for celebrations, said the Union Minister from Odisha.
According to legends, Pandavas spent some days of their incognito living in the remote hills of Saptasajya. Raghunath temple attracts a large number of crowds every year on the day of Rama Navami. Dhenkanal Palace is a large complex of apartments, courts and gardens nestled against the gradual slope of the Garhjat Hills of the Eastern Ghats in Odisha.
The Palace, built during the latter part of the 19th century on the site of the fort that witnessed a long-drawn siege and war by the Marathas, led by Chemnaji Bhonsle, is the residence of the Raja of Dhenkanal and his Family. Dhenkanal Royal palace is a tourist attraction, he said.
“In a nutshell, Dhenkanal offers a fantastic opportunity for tourism development along the historic, environmental, ecological and spiritual circuits of the Swadesh Darshan scheme. Tourism in the Dhenkanal region has suffered greatly due to the impact of Covid-19, and a Special Package would go a long way in resuscitating the tourist footfalls in Dhenkanal, which will certainly translate into a huge economic multiplier for the people in the region and adjoining areas,” said Dharmendra.
“Therefore, keeping in mind the massive untapped potential of the tourism sector in Dhenkanal, and the welfare of the people living there, I seek your personal intervention in sanctioning a Special Package for the development of tourism infrastructure and facilities in Dhenkanal district of Odisha,” he added.
