Dhenkanal: Hundreds of tourists and picnickers from far-flung areas of the state and outside have started thronging Saptasajya, a popular tourist hub in Dhenkanal district.
A relatively small protected forest reserve in the Chhota Nagpur Plateau region, Saptasajya is a conglomeration of seven hills with rich vegetation mixed with deciduous forest dominated by sal trees. It got officially recognised as a sanctuary in 1970. The fauna mainly consists of wild goats, leopards and a variety of birds.
As cold wave has started gripping the state, Saptasajya has become one of the preferred destinations for picnickers and visitors. The reserve forest boasts of rich flora and fauna and is an enjoyable retreat from busy urban life. Visitors are thronging the natural site to enjoy its picturesque surroundings and cold weather.
With the countdown for the New Year starting, visitors from all over the state and outside have either started coming to the spot or planning a trip to enjoy the scenic hills, cool breeze, green lustrous forest cover, running streams and to sight wild animals and birds.
Apart from the natural environment, there are many old temples in the area that attract visitors’ attention. One of the shrines that visitors don’t miss generally is the Raghunath temple complex where the presiding deity is Lord Ram.
Inside the complex, Annapurna temple was constructed in 1982, Kali temple in 1985 and the Surya Narayan temple in 1990. It also has temples of Rameswaram, Ganesha, Mahavir, and the Navagraha. Mahakali, Saraswati, Sri Nrushingha temples are conceived to be built in the holy complex.
The entire hill range is spread over an area of 2096.75 hectares, with an altitude ranging from 300 metres to 586 metres from the sea level. A medicinal garden with a variety of herbal plants has enhanced the biodiversity further.
However, locals feel a little facelift and provision of facilities like accommodation, including night stay, proper road, drinking water, and direct bus service would give a boost to tourism to this area.
Locals also think that forest officials are not paying proper attention to Saptasajya Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Saptasajya Reserve Forest. Earlier, Rs 40 lakh was spent for rest houses, toilets, drinking water facilities and other minor developments. However, the developmental works are incomplete. Some tourists expressed resentment over lack of toilets for women.
When contacted, sarpanch Jeses Sahu said the villagers were trying to make the place tourist friendly. All development works were being taken care of. However, due to lack of funds some works have remained incomplete and would be completed soon, Sahu added.
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