Posts filed under ‘Tourism Zones’
Land of temples in Kalahandi on path of recovery
BHAWANIPATNA: FOR the land grabbers, the immovable properties of deities are easy target. Fifteen temples of Kalahandi Group of Temples, managed by Odisha Hindu Religious Endowment, bear testimony to years of neglect and becoming victims of encroachment. Now there is an attempt by the group to recover the immovable properties of deities and renovate the temples, which need attention. This has raised new hope.
The group plans to renovate Ramswami temple, Balaji temple, Dakhina Kali, Bhawanishankar, Jagannath, Madanmohan, Tarini in Bhawanipatna, Lankeswari, Gopinath Jew, Kanak Durga, Someswar, Ramswami and Balaji temples in Junagarh and Manikeswari, Rameswar and Nilakantheswar temples in Thuamul Rampur.
Most of these temples were constructed during the 19th Century by the then kings of Kalahandi. Even after the merger of the princely states in Odisha, these temples were managed by the royal family. In the seventies, the former King handed over these temples to the Government along with 1,500 acres of land and valuables of the deities for the management and maintenance of the temples and also for performance of rituals. Despite having the potential of adequate returns, the situation remained grim.
According to the record of the Group of Temples, a large chunk of valuable agricultural land of the deities located in different villages under Bhawanipatna and Dharamgarh sub-divisions remained under the occupation of the encroachers. Besides, the encroachers are eyeing the land of the deities in prime locations of Bhawanipatna and Junagarh and these valuable lands are being systematically grabbed by people for construction of houses and for also business purposes.
In Bhawanipatna, out of 34 acres of Balaji temple land, more than 10 acres are under the illegal occupation of locals where both huts and buildings have been constructed. The rest of the areas are also under threat. Most of the lands of Kali temple, located in the heart of the town, are under also illegal occupation. The land of Ramswami temple is also not spared from land grabbers.
Celebrating the Yogini cult: Chausath Yogini temple, Balangir, Odisha
Following is a report from the http://www.tribuneindia.com
Kosaleswara temple, Baidyanath, Subarnapur district
Following information is taken from: http://www.nuaodisha.com/Odisha-Tourism/Tourist-Places-In-Sonepur.html , the Sambad, and Inscriptions of Orissa: With Special Reference to Subarnapur
Bhima Bhoi memorial, Khaliapali receives grant for development
Following is a report from the Sambad:
Lankeswari Temple, Sonepur
Photo taken from http://jspanda.deviantart.com/art/Lankeswari-Temple-sonepur-482059038
Tourism boost to Daringibadi
In peak winter, tourists throng Daringibadi, the picturesque hill town of Kandhamal district, to witness snow flakes as the place is aptly called the Kashmir of Odisha. But lack of infrastructure has been the major stumbling block in the way of tourist inflow.
The town received a tourism boost with the chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday opening a tribal museum at the hill-view park and laying foundation stone of a nature camp, an ecotourism project. The government has given much emphasis on development of tourism and horticulture in Kandhamal, said the chief minister.
Tribal dress, ornaments and musical instruments of Kandha and Kutia Kandha tribes have been displayed in the museum. Kutia Kandhas, one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups, reside in Belaghara while Kandhas are found in almost all areas of the district.
The museum has been built on 1,100-sqft with an investment of Rs 30 lakh by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Baliguda. Almost all the exhibits have been collected from the tribals. Some more attractive items will be added to the museum soon, said Ramesh Chandra Behera, an official of ITDA, Baliguda.
Besides enjoying the nature’s bounty, one can witness the tribal customs in Daringibadi, a tourist destination, he added.
The nature camp, adjoining the existing nature park, is proposed to be set up with an investment of Rs 1.10 lakh by the forest department. The camp will have six cottages, a restaurant and facilities for trekking to the forests, said divisional forest officer (DFO), Baliguda, Kartik V.
Sprawled over four hectares, the nature park was developed by the forest department six months ago with an investment of Rs 55 lakh. The park has butterfly park, medicinal garden, 3D movie halls and display of lifesize images of wild animals apart from a peep into the traditions of Kutia Kandhas.
With these facilities, the tourism in the town will receive a major boost, said collector (Kandhamal) Reghu G. Generally the visitors throng the hill town during the peak winter to enjoy its cool climate.
The butterfly park, second of its kind in the state after Nandanakanan, has at least 15 host plants. While the butterfly park at Nandanakanan is a closed one, Daringibadi park is an open one, first of its kind in the state, said the DFO. Similarly, around 50 medicinal plant species have been planted in the medicinal garden.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 