The Union Tourism Ministry has decided to include a number of attractive tourism products of Odisha in the ‘Incredible India’ campaign and in its annual tourism calendar, especially in view of the ensuing 2015 Navakalevar festival of the lord Jagannath.
Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, State Tourism Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhy said that he had written a letter to Union Tourism Additional Secretary Giris Shankar regarding inclusion of some products of Odisha tourism in the Incredible India campaign especially in view of the ensuing Nabakalebar festival-2015. Besides, a detailed discussion has been held with the Union Tourism Secretary on April 4 last and the Ministry had approved of State’s proposal, Dr Padhy said, adding that the step would help a lot create public awareness in India and outside on Odisha art, culture and tourism.
Dr Padhy has sent pictures of a selected sand art on lord Jagannath made by Padmashree Sudarshan Pattnaik along with pictures of other tourism destinations such as Konark, Puri and Bhubaneswar Golden Triangle, Dhauli peace pagoda, Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves in Bhubaneswar, Chilika lake, Rantnagiri, lalitgiri, Udayagiri and langudi Budhist circuit, Deomali of Koraput, Harishankar, Nurshinganath, Bhitarkanika crocodile sanctuary, Similipal National Park, Taptapani hot spring, Nanadankanan Biological Park, both in hard and soft copies to the Union Tourism Ministry and requested to include the products in the Incredible India annual calendar and campaign.