Visitors alight from the Mandar Hill in Bounsi village of Banka. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Tourists would soon find walking up Mandar Hill a cakewalk, err ropewalk.

According to the district administration, it has almost completed the process of transferring land to install the ropeway to help travellers visit the picturesque Mandar Hill situated in Bounsi village of Banka. Banka district magistrate (DM) Saket Kumar confirmed to The Telegraph that the work of transferring land is nearly complete. “Very soon, the work of installing the ropeway would be started,” he said.

Brajesh Kumar, deputy collector (land reforms), Banka, said: “We have identified around 2.46 acres to install the ropeway. The land has been identified in Chilhara mounza. The forest department has helped us identify the area.”

The development assumes significance as Mandar Hill has great potential to be developed as a tourist hot spot in the state. According to the Skanda Purana, it was used in the samudra manthan (churning of the sea) episode in which the devtas (gods) and rakshashas (demons) both took part. Apart from this, a unique black-stone image of Vishnu in his man-lion incarnation (Narsimha avatar) has been found at the hill. An inscription of Gupta king Adityasen Gupta has also been found at the hill. The inscription narrates that he and his queen Konda Devi had installed an image of Narsimha on the hill and his queen performed an act of piety by excavating a tank called Papharni at the foot of the hill.

Residents believe that taking a bath in the Papharni is equal to taking a bath in the river Ganga. “On auspicious days like Kartik Purnima, residents who don’t get a chance to bathe in the Ganga, make it a point to take a dip in the Papharni. We believe that by taking a bath here, we would get rid of the bad fortunes which we earn through our bad deeds,” said Sunil Kushwaha, a resident of Bounsi village.

He added: “Mandar Hill has three water bodies that never face a drought-like situation. In one of the water bodies, it is believed that the shankh (conch shell), which lord Shiva used in vishpaan (drinking poison) after the samudra manthan, has been kept. All these things make this hill a very religious and revered place.”

The residents, naturally, are excited over the work of ropeway installation at Mandar Hill. Many, however, believe that that the state government needs to do more to develop the area to boost tourism.

“The state government has neglected this area despite its historical importance. If the area around Mandar Hill is developed, it can be turned into a good tourist destination. At present, there is no proper accommodation facility for tourists here. There are only one or two hotels very far away from each other. Tourists do come from outside the state but the number is few. Tourists who visit Mandar Hill don’t return owing to poor accommodation facilities,” said Sunil.

“The state government needs to create dharamshalas for tourists here. This would help boost the business of residential people who have their business settlements near the hill,” said Ganesh Manjhi Kushwaha (75), a resident.

A district administration official, however, refuted charges that the government was not doing anything to boost tourism in the area. “Recently, tenders had been issued to select a firm, which would be engaged in maintenance of road and setting up sheds for commuters on the road. The project cost is around Rs 5 crore. These measures would bring good results in the tourism sector in this area,” he said.