Min opens tourist trail from Debrigarh to Bhima Mandali | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: Authorities of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary on Tuesday launched a new tourism circuit called ‘Trek to Bhima Mandali‘, a site with caves which bear inscriptions and paintings dating back to the pre-historic age.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the new trail, where safari vehicles will start from Debrigarh and reach Bhima Mandali en route to Hirakud dam. Tourists will need to trek 1 km to access the caves, engravings, paintings and honeycomb patterns at the site.
“The findings by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Bhima Mandali under Rairakhol subdivision depict how deep and old our civilisation is. I am thankful to the state govt for including two new places in Sambalpur on the tourism list. Gradually, the site will be developed,” said Pradhan. He added that in the coming days, the place will get an identity in the world. “There will be international conferences and workshops to promote the site,” he added.
Anshu Pragyan Das, divisional forest officer, Hirakud, said 18 safari vehicles are now available in Debrigarh. “The trek to Bhima Mandali is a new attraction being added to the existing tours such as wildlife safari, Hirakud cruise to Cattle Island, island cafe in the middle of Hirakud, visit to Govindpur birds village, Barabakhra, and hiking,” she said. Officials said the return trail will include visits to Samaleswari Temple, Sambalpur zoo and the handloom market.
She added that Bhima Mandali caves have carvings of deer, elephants, footprints of different animals, pugmarks, and different features reflecting human settlements inside the forest ages ago. According to historians, the site got its name from the large rock shelters in the sandstone hills of the reserve forest, which was believed to be the abode of Bhim during his exile.
“The place has over 600 rock shelters, out of which historians have been able to access 100. At least 46 are found to have inscriptions and engraved paintings,” said historian Deepak Panda. The site is a two-hour journey from Debrigarh by road via Hirakud dam and Sambalpur. Officials said the initiative aims to boost ecotourism and heritage exploration at the site.
Researchers from the ASI visited the site and found it to be 30,000 years old, suggesting the presence of humans in the prehistoric age.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the new trail, where safari vehicles will start from Debrigarh and reach Bhima Mandali en route to Hirakud dam. Tourists will need to trek 1 km to access the caves, engravings, paintings and honeycomb patterns at the site.
“The findings by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Bhima Mandali under Rairakhol subdivision depict how deep and old our civilisation is. I am thankful to the state govt for including two new places in Sambalpur on the tourism list. Gradually, the site will be developed,” said Pradhan. He added that in the coming days, the place will get an identity in the world. “There will be international conferences and workshops to promote the site,” he added.
Anshu Pragyan Das, divisional forest officer, Hirakud, said 18 safari vehicles are now available in Debrigarh. “The trek to Bhima Mandali is a new attraction being added to the existing tours such as wildlife safari, Hirakud cruise to Cattle Island, island cafe in the middle of Hirakud, visit to Govindpur birds village, Barabakhra, and hiking,” she said. Officials said the return trail will include visits to Samaleswari Temple, Sambalpur zoo and the handloom market.
She added that Bhima Mandali caves have carvings of deer, elephants, footprints of different animals, pugmarks, and different features reflecting human settlements inside the forest ages ago. According to historians, the site got its name from the large rock shelters in the sandstone hills of the reserve forest, which was believed to be the abode of Bhim during his exile.
“The place has over 600 rock shelters, out of which historians have been able to access 100. At least 46 are found to have inscriptions and engraved paintings,” said historian Deepak Panda. The site is a two-hour journey from Debrigarh by road via Hirakud dam and Sambalpur. Officials said the initiative aims to boost ecotourism and heritage exploration at the site.
Researchers from the ASI visited the site and found it to be 30,000 years old, suggesting the presence of humans in the prehistoric age.
