Bhubaneswar: The chirping of birds adds to the charm of the sylvan surroundings of trees such as teak, sal and asan. Beautiful flowers such as Ashoka, Nageswar, Sunari and Hibiscus are a feast for the eyes, while the sound of the Sunaghai spring reverberating in the hilly surroundings creates an atmosphere for relaxation. Welcome to Gadachandi shrine.
Nature has endowed Keonjhar district with many attractive tourist destinations and the shrine to goddess Gadachandi is one of the most preferred of the lot. Situated on the foothills of the Boula mountains around 18 km northeast of Anandapur, the shrine was granted tourism status in 1998 when it was named ‘The Gadachandi Tourism Centre’. The place is so pristine that you may come across elephants if you happen to overstay till the daybreak, according to Sushant Jena, a visitor to the area and a resident of Ghasipura.
The eternal beauty of the shrine also drew the attention of actor-director Prashanta Nanda, who shot the famous Ollywood flick ‘Golamgiri’ at the site in 1982.
Gadachandi was the presiding deity of the Singh dynasty, which ruled the Singidi kingdom — now Podasingidi village — situated towards the south of the shrine. The Singidi king was overthrown by the then Keonjhar king Govinda Bhanja, an acclaimed warrior of 17th century. Bhanja was helped by a soldier of the Singidi kingdom who killed his king when the later was visiting the Gadachandi shrine alone in the morning. Bhanja bestowed the title of ‘Mardaraj’ on the soldier.
Bhanja rebuilt the Gadachandi shrine on the ruins of the Singidi kingdom. He appointed priests — a Brahmin and a dehury — for worshipping the deity at the shrine and also introduced animal sacrifice at the shrine on Dussehra.
The legend
Legend has it that the deity was earlier worshipped atop the hills and not at the place where the temple has come up now. About 400 years ago, the priest forgot the ceremonial sword after performing the ritual of animal sacrifice at the shrine. He went back to collect the sword only to see the deity with eight arms. The deity, the legend says, threw the sword to the bottom of the hill and asked the priest to offer prayers at the spot where he would collect the sword.
The shrine draws a lot of people, including tourists from across the state, during the Makar Mela. This is being institutionally celebrated at the shrine since January 14, 1991, with a lot of pomp and gaiety. Many feel the right time to visit the site is New Year eve and the area draws a lot of visitors during the Christmas/ New Year vacations.
Buddhist / Jain links
There are also hints of Buddhist and Jain links to the area, which has also been linked to Taxila. Shankarshan Rout, a member of the Gadachandi Temple Managing Committee, said excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had thrown up some Buddhist and Jain artefacts. Some of the artefacts have been kept at the state museum, he said. The numerous caves and excavations are a testimony to the spread of Buddhism and Jainism in the region. Rout said more excavations could reveal detailed information about Buddhist and Jain artefacts. Pointing to the artefact at the shrine, he said the ASI is yet to identify the broken idol.
A closer look at the history of the shrine reveals that Chinese monk and the great traveller Hiuen Tsang had also visited Boula hills and addressed a Buddhist conclave there.
The Kalinga Pass
Another attraction in the area is the Kalinga Pass, which is a passage between two rocks – Sita Antudi and Khandia Hudi – situated to the south of Gadachandi shrine. The pass is believed to be the Lion’s Gate of the Singidi king and connects the shrine with the palace. Some Buddhist and Jain artifact were also found near Kalinga Pass.
Many people of the region feel that the history and the legend associated with the area could attract more people and say that a lot still needs to be done to develop the place into a top tourist destination.
Maintenance issues
Some people of the area have suggested that the murram road connecting the main gate to the shrine should be made of concrete for the convenience of tourists. “The plying of vehicles along the murram road connecting the shrine spreads dust in the air. The road should be made of concrete for the convenience of the tourists,” says Jena, the visitor from Ghasipura.
However, Rout said, “It is very difficult to maintain the shrine without government assistance. The shrine runs mainly on the donations by visitors. Earlier, the temple’s biggest source of revenue was the royalty obtained from stone quarrying. We were getting around Rs 50,000 on this count every year. However, a ban on stone quarrying by the forest and environment department has put a dent on the revenue generation.”
FAST FACTS
Airport: Bhubaneswar, 157 km away
Railway station: Bhadrak, 38 km away
Bus terminus: Anandapur, 12 km away
Accommodation: Forest and environment department guest house
Summer temperature: 35 degrees Celsius
Winter temperature: 13 degrees Celsius