Much to the chagrin of the people, important tourist attractions of the State failed to make it to the 3D map containing information on tourist destinations which was unveiled at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Friday.
Surprisingly, the lingaraj temple, the Khandagiri-Udaygiri twin caves, Kapilas and over 300 key spots are missing from the tourism map.
The State’s Golden Triangle - the Jagannath temple, the Konark temple and the lingaraj temple - draws large numbers of tourists. While the Mukteswar temple of Bhubaneswar has found a place in the tourist map, the omission of the lingaraj temple has left the denizens as well as the attendees bewildered alike.
Notably, a meagre 20 destinations have found mention in the list among a long list of 341 serene tourist destinations across the State. local MlA and Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda unveiled the tourist map on the sidelines of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India here.
Expressing unhappiness over it, servitors on Saturday urged the Chief Minister to include the lingaraj temple in the 3D map soon. “It is disappointing that the lingaraj temple has not found a place in the 3D map.
“Though the Minister himself is a Sevayat (servitor) of the temple, his action triggered suspicion and has pained all.
“Kindly include the temple in the map soon,” servitors said in a letter to the Chief Minister.
Those who signed the letter include Swadhin Panda, Samresh Garabadu, Jitu Panda, Rashmi Mohapatra, Ganesh Mohapatra and Rajesh Mahasuar. They also threatened to stage agitation if the demand is not met soon.
