Bhubaneswar: Raghurajpur in Odisha’s Puri district was awarded ‘Best Tourism Village 2023’ in silver category by the Ministry of Tourism on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
A total of 35 villages, including Raghurajpur, were selected for the award through Best Tourism Villages Competition for promoting and preserving their cultural heritage and sustainable development through tourism. Among them, 5, 10, and 20 villages were awarded in gold, silver, and bronze categories, respectively.
Sources added that 795 villages from 31 states and Union Territories had competed for the award.
Situated on the southern bank of the Bhargavi river, the coconut and palm-shaded heritage crafts village of Odisha is best known for its Pattachitra art, palm leaf engraving, wooden toys, and stone carving. The 123 families of artisans create sheer poetry on pieces of treated cloth, dried palm leaf and paper. Jagannath cult, Krishna Leela and other characters from mythology and their sagas with rich imagery are depicted on these materials in resplendent colours.
