A portion of the Ratnagiri Buddhist site. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 5: The tourist inflow into Jajpur district is set to increase soon. The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) is planning to provide better infrastructure facilities and promote tourist spots in the district.

Tourism and culture secretary Ashok Kumar Tripathy said: “We are developing a comprehensive package to promote tourism in this ancient site of Odishan culture. We will take into account the development of infrastructure based on the location of temples, forts and Buddhist sites. The Buddhist sites here are already well known. Now, our main objective is to promote the other temples and forts here, which. Till now, have not got their due.”

Odisha tourism will take up projects to develop heritage sites such as Jagannath temple in Sukindagarh, Katarakhai temple at Darpani, Varuneswar at Binjharpur, Narayani temple at Deoda, Palesvara temple in Palapada, Gokarneswar temple in Jarka, Hatakeswar temple in Nathgarh and Daria Nahaikani of Singhapur.

The tourism department will also look into the development of infrastructure and take up conservation work at Teligarh fort and Amarabati fort as part of its plan to develop old forts in Jajpur.

The OTDC is also planning package tours from Bhubaneswar to Jajpur for Biraja and Akhandalamani temple.

Jajpur (earlier Jajnyapura) was the former capital of the Kalinga kingdom and a prominent place for worship of the female power or Shakti cult and Biraja peetha (temple of Goddess Biraja) is a famous shrine. However, other sites such as Sweta Baraha (incarnation of Lord Vishnu as the white boar), Saptamatruka are located along river Baitarani. Famous shrines such as Ashokajhar, Chandikhol, Bhhatia bata, Gokarnika, Kuransa, Mahavinayak, Patharajpur, Satyapira, Singhapur, Vyas Sarovar and and Baruneswar peetha are also crowd pullers.

The state government is also planning to develop a four-lane road from Kuakhia to Biraja and from Biraja peetha to the Shaivaite shrine at Aradi famous for Lord Akhandalamani.

According to ancient scriptures, Odisha was divided into five religious regions. While Shaktikshetra was found around Biraja temple in Jajpur, Ekamrakshetra was found around Bhubaneswar, Srikshetra in Puri, Arkakshetra in Konark and Ganapati Kshetra around Chandikhole. Based on the love for Lord Ganesh the Mahavinayak temple near Chandikhole can also be developed as a major tourism site.