File photograph of tourists enjoying elephant rides in Kaziranga National Park

Jorhat, May 28: The Kaziranga National Park will have an added attraction soon.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has sanctioned funds to transform a hamlet named Durgapur, adjacent to the abode of the one-horned rhino, into a model village where tourists can get a taste of the Assamese way of life.

Bokakhat sub-divisional officer Debo Kumar Nath said work on the project would begin early next month.

The village will have a namghar (prayer hall), a batsora (gateway) in each house, a community hall and 73 families. “Once the village is inaugurated, tourists visiting the national park can spend a few days in a typical Assamese environment. Assamese youths living in the towns and cities may also not have experienced their community’s traditional way of life. The village will be an example for such youths,” Nath said.

After conceiving the idea, the Bokakhat sub-divisional administration wrote to the UNDP, seeking financial assistance to implement the project. A team from the global organisation visited the site last year and funds were sanctioned in April.

Kaziranga National Park is set to celebrate its centenary next year and the model village is expected to add to the novelty of the bash.

Nath said Bihu troupes would perform every evening at the community hall of Durgapur village to entertain visitors during the peak tourist season at Kaziranga.

The 430 square km park is being expanded, too, especially on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra. During the just-ended tourist season, the park earned Rs 61 lakh, which is the highest in its history. It also won the World Wildlife Fund-instituted “best-managed park” award.

The Assam government is trying to develop other wildlife parks on the lines of Kaziranga.