The Khandagiri caves here, about 2,300 years old, will soon get a makeover with a mini interpretation centre, parks and other tourist infrastructure.The master plan for the project has already been prepared and work has also started based on a report by representatives of BDA, BMC and ASI, who visited the hills recently. According to Bhubaneswar ASI Circle Superintendent AK Patel,landscaping of the surrounding areas will be undertaken and chairs will be placed for tourists in the first phase like at the Udayagiri hills. later, a mini interpretation centre will be set up which will provide detailed information on Jainism to the tourists. Toilets will also be constructed for tourists in the premises. All these works will be executed by the Engineering Division of the Horticulture Department.
Notably, on the basis of the recommendations of environmentalists and experts, a decision had already been taken to close the public road from Khandagiri till Charichhak. The entire area will be barricaded and the road between Khandagiri and Udayagiri will be converted to a footpath. The surrounding of the two hills under the barricaded area will be decorated like a park.While the temporary shops in front of the Khandagiri hills have been pulled down, the BDA has started planning to demolish the illegal encroachments around the Tapoban school road to provide an alternate route for the traffic.