Can you read it? A board mentioning details of a grove lies in neglect at Jayadev Vatika. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 19: Jayadev Vatika, a 100-acre theme park developed by the government depicting legendary poet Jayadev’s eternal classic Gitagovinda, is wallowing in neglect.

The 24 vatikas (groves) created inside the park following the sarga or segments of Gitagovinda are now in a shambles as many signs are either found missing or damaged.

Parthasarathi Das, a resident of Satyasai Enclave near Khandagiri, said: “I have been visiting the park at least for the last five years, but the authorities have neglected the vatika portions. Now, there is no point of connecting the park with the legend’s work if the very theme is being neglected in the park.”

A resident from the nearby Gandamunda area, Damodar Mohanty, said: “More than 500 people, including morning walkers, visit the park every day. The authorities should take up proper maintenance work inside the theme-based groves.”

In 1992, the state government created the theme park spending crores of rupees. The general administration department gave a permissive possession for the development of the area for a theme park to the OFDC and the Jayadev Foundation Trust in 1991.

“More than Rs 35 lakh was spent for plantation programmes between 1991-92 and 1995-96, while the OFDC and the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation had spent more than Rs 2 cores for the vatika following the description in scriptures on Ekamravana of old Bhubaneswar and Vrindavan of Uttar Pradesh as described in Gitagovinda. But now, no funds are available for the development of the groves,” said historian and executive trustee of Jayadev Foundation Trust Prafulla Tripathy.

S.N. Patro, working president of Orissa Environmental Society and president of the Jayadev Walkers’ Club said: “The theme park should be promoted as a unique destination. Its vicinity to the twin hills of Khandagiri and Uadaygiri will be its advantage.”

Director (operations), OFDC, S.K. Sinha said: “We have maintained the portions for picnickers and renovated the tracks for morning walkers and joggers last year. As the development is a continuous process, we will also take up repair and maintenance of the groves. The two information kiosks near the two gates of the park will be developed into museums with artefacts relating to poet Jayadev and his works in phases.”