The Dhauli international peace pagoda

Bhubaneswar, May 5: The international peace pagoda at Dhauli will now glow in the dark.

The tourism department plans to illuminate the monument and its surroundings at a cost of around Rs 50 lakh. Work on the project will be completed within a month.

Night-time sojourns at the site will now become possible for tourists who dare not visit it in the scorching heat of the day.

“The illumination of the pagoda at night will attract tourists who are not being able to visit the site during daytime. With temperatures rising and the floor around the pagoda becoming extremely hot, this new initiative will definitely boost tourism later this summer,” said Sashanka Rath, tourist officer, Bhubaneswar.

Senior engineer of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation J.K. Das told The Telegraph: “We have already started putting up lights on the pagoda and around it. The exercise will be completed within a month. The Khurda district administration has already provided security guards and promised more for the safety of the electrical installations.”

Das said that besides the pagoda, lights would be placed around the Asoka pillar at the foothills of Dhauli, around the eight fibre statues of Buddha near the pillar, the sculptor park near the newly opened Dhauli Crafts Bazaar and the renovated lake near the proposed parking lot.

The famous Buddhist monument built in the memory of the Kalinga War has remained in the dark since it was built in 1972.

Tourism sources said that three years ago there was a trial run to illuminate the surroundings of the pagoda, but theft and vandalism left the installations damaged.

On many occasions, the traders have had to illuminate the surroundings of the pagoda on their own, as tourists from Bengal arrive late from Puri.

“We have had to provide battery-operated lights near the entrance of the pagoda so that, with the little illumination, tourists could see the pagoda and return with a smile. But can we provide the service forever?” Subuddhi asked.

Another businessman said: “Only during cultural programmes do various government departments use temporary power supply. After the shows are over, Dhauli plunges back into darkness for the rest of the year.”

Mrutyunjay Tripathy, a visitor to Dhauli, said: “Being from Bhubaneswar, I always think about visiting the place in the evening and spend some time here, but there is no illumination or proper security. This new step will attract even people like me to Dhauli regularly.”

Additional general manager (in-charge) of the Central Electrical Supply Utility, the power distributing company, B. Mahakud said: “Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has installed a new sub-station and developed some infrastructure for the illumination. Once they complete the sub-station and contact us, we will provide the power.”