Bhubaneswar, July 15: Mayurbhanj has many places for tourism enthusiasts besides the Similipal Tiger Reserve, but they are not highlighted in the tourism map of the state, either in the district tour plan package or while promoting the famous wildlife habitat.

Local tourism enthusiasts feel that the district can have two exclusive tourism circuits, which can be developed independently or linked to Similipal, which lies in the centre of the district. The two circuits are at two ends of the tiger reserve.

Sapan Sadual, a faculty member at a city-based tourism college, said: “Places such as Haripurgarh, Debkund, Kalo and Samibruksha can be tagged as one circuit. While Haripurgarh was the ancient capital of Mayurbhanj, Baripada became the new capital between 1802 and 1804. The place also has an archaeologically important Rasikray temple made of terracotta. It can also be compared to the terracotta temples of Bishnupur in Bengal.”

Sadual said Haripurgarh could be linked to Debkund (ancient worship place of Ambika and the Kalo river valley and Samibrukshya, a mythologically important place as per the Mahabharat).

He suggested that tourists should visit Haripurgarh, the Debkund area, which has a beautiful waterfall and places suitable for trekking and the Kalo river. One can enter the tiger reserve through the Lulung gate and then visit the forest area.

Similarly, he has suggested the creation of a tourism circuit with the tiger reserve at its epicentre. The other centres of attraction of the circuit will be the crocodile project at Ramtirtha near Jashipur, famous stone-carving hub Khiching, the Khiching Museum and the Kichakeswari temple.

Viraatgarh near the Kichakeswari temple is yet to be excavated properly and if that were carried out, more tourists would visit the place. Not only the Kichakeswari temple’s beauty, but also the work by the artisans is on display with the state government providing funds to keep the tradition alive.

Local resident of Baripada, Bibhudutta Das, feels the Jashipur-Khiching circuit can be linked to Similipal from the Jashipur-end gate so people can visit the tiger reserve after going though the circuit and vice-versa.

Besides the two circuits and Similipal, the district has many other important tourism sites such as the Buddhist monuments collected from Badasahi and Manatri. While Manatri is also famous for Manatrigarh, Kuchai, an area near Baripada, has a beautiful excavated site with tools from the stone ages and Kuliana, a place famous for the dokra art.

There is also a proposal to establish a sabaigram — sabai grass craft based village near Badjod dam. Former tourism minister Debi Prasad Mishra had agreed to the plan, which would be made on the model of the Surajkund Fair.

Tourists could visit Badjod and watch the sabai grass crafts being made by the local artisans. Mayurbhanj is famous for sabai-based handicrafts and furniture.

Bhanumitra Acharya, a wildlife activist, said the tour package for the wildlife pockets of Mayurbhanj also needed a new look. He said eco-tourism destinations should also be developed.