Dhabaleswar hanging bridge in Cuttack and (right) Huma temple in Sambalpur. Picture by Badrika Nath Das and Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, June 23: With an eye on tourist footfall, the district tourism department has proposed to build a hanging bridge to link the famous leaning temple of Huma and Kanherkud, an island on the Mahanadi river.

The proposed bridge will be 150metres long and the project cost has been pegged at Rs 2 crore. If approved, the bridge will be like the one at the famous Dhabaleswar shrine on the banks of the Mahanadi in Cuttack. Incidentally, Dhabaleswar at 245ft is one of the longest hanging bridges in the region. Visitors to the Huma temple, one of the oldest Shiva shrines in the region, usually make a trip to the Kanherkud island, which is known for its Kali temple. But to visit the island, tourists have to take a trip on country boats. The hanging bridge, once in place, will solve the problem of the tourists and boost footfall in the region.

“The proposal has been submitted to the authorities,” said district tourist officer Rabindra Dalei. He exuded confidence that the proposal would be cleared.

Huma temple draws not only devotees, but also scholars who come to study its architecture. Thousands of tourists from across the country visit this temple to see its leaning structure. It was built by the Chouhan dynasty between 1545AD and 1560AD. Apart from the leaning structure, the nearby Machhindra ghat, famous for kudo fish, also attracts tourists.

“Nearly two lakh tourists visit the leaning temple of Huma every year. They also go to the Kali temple at Kanherkud. Visitors from abroad too come here. A hanging bridge between the two places will definitely attract more tourists to this place,” said an official of district tourism department.

“This is a praiseworthy proposal. The hanging bridge will be another attraction for tourists at Huma,” said Naresh Pattnaik, said a visitor to the Huma temple.