Puri: Sahan, a coastal village near Astarang, has become the centre of attraction for tourists and nature lovers as the migratory birds have started flocking to the spot.
The village, with its thick mangroves, is being considered a paradise for migratory birds. However, the state government is yet to declare the coastal village a tourist spot.
Puri, a coastal district, has a special place in the tourism map of Odisha. Shrines like Srimandir and Konark Sun Temple and beaches in the Holy City and at Chandrabhaga usually attract tourists from across the globe.
Chilika, the largest brackish water lake in Asia, has also enhanced the importance of Puri district in the tourism sector. Apart from these well-known tourist destinations, the coastal district has many more to offer to nature lovers.
Located about 10 km from Astarang market, Sahan has everything to attract the visitors and nature lovers. Deep mangroves on both sides of Luna River and casuarinas forests surrounding Goddess Keluni shrine are instrumental in attracting visitors to the coastal village.
“The casuarinas forests near Keluni shrine are the most sought-after places for picnickers. The Forest department has dug two tube wells and made sitting arrangements for picnickers. Many people also take a boat ride in Luna to see the mangroves and migratory birds,” said a villager.
According to the villagers, many tourists also hire boats from Sahan to visit Debi River mouth, a place well-known for red crabs. “Sahan has everything to get a tourist spot tag. Sunset at Luna River mouth and wild animals in the mangroves are the distinguished features of the coastal village,” said the villagers.
It is learnt that the Forest department had planned to set up an eco-tourism project at Sahan. Even the Forest department Principal Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Puri Divisional Forest Officer Harshabardhan Udgata and then district collector Aravind Agrawal had visited the village last year to identify a suitable place for the project.
However, the Forest department is yet to move forward with regard to the ecotourism project.
Tourism Department Assistant Director Bijay Kumar Jena said the state government is taking steps to develop Sahan under the integrated coastal area management project.
