Raisuan: The mineral-rich Keonjhar district is endowed with many beautiful sites with tourism potential. One of them is Asurakhola waterfall in Mahadeijoda panchayat.
However, locals feel the site is a victim of the administrative neglect. Though it is located just a few km away from the district headquarters, no step has been taken to develop the picture postcard site, said locals.
As a result, the waterfall is unknown to outsiders. It is about 13 km from the district headquarters. Raisuan is 8 km away from Keonjhar town. To visit the place, one has to take the Mahadeijoda road towards Tikarapada. The waterfall is just 2 km away from Tikarapada.
The waterfall is flanked by two hills and cascades down from a height of 30 ft. Set amid hilly terrain, the waterfall offers a magnificent view to visitors.
The waterfall has a legend behind its name. Two huge outcrops and a stone in the shape of a cake are there at the place. In the ancient times, a couple used to inhabit the place. They were eating cakes when they were cursed by some divine force. The couple turned into stones, according to the legend.
Local environmentalists and nature lovers feel that the place has a huge tourism potential, which can be tapped by developing basic infrastructure.
PNN