By Manoj Kar
Kendrapara(Odisha), July 28: A remote picturesque rural corner of this district is poised to become a major hub for the overseas tourists. The scion of erstwhile Kanika Zamindar has drawn up an ambitious plan to refurbish the royal palace at Rajkanika in to an ambient tourist retreat.

“In an attempt to promote eco-tourism and augment local economy by way of tourism, plan is being given final shape to spruce up the majestic palace built in 1809 during the rule of my great grandfather,” said Shibendu Narayan Bhanjadeo here on Sunday.

The bustling palace covering over 4,000 sq ft area could become a unique eco-tourist spot because of its location in the close vicinity of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, Bhanjadeo felt.

“We have requested the state forest department to accord permission to have a deer park as the palace is enriched with vast meadows.

“A Trust has been founded for the purpose and we have sought for INTACH's technical expertise for smooth rebuilding work of the palace,” he informed.

Plan is to provide accommodation to around 50 guests amidst scenic and ethnic ambience.

In accordance with INTACH's instructions, the rebuilding work of the palace would be carried out while keeping intact its medieval character.

For air connectivity to the place, recently a team of officials of Deccan aviation have inspected the place for helicopter service.

“The palace had been wallowing in neglect and non-maintenance since long. The cost of maintenance of the gigantic building was enormous. Thus we thought it better to convert it in to a tourist retreat. Expected revenue generation from the proposed tourist complex would go a long way in meeting with the conservation cost of the palace,” Bhanjadeo said.

“The palace is lying unoccupied as we have shifted to Bhubaneswar since the abolition of the estate in the 60s. The legacy of the Zamindari is however conserved in a miniature museum in the palace. The prized possession of the museum is country's largest skull of estuarine crocodile.”

Both the palace and museum have undergone a series of vandalism and burglaries over the years. Burglars vandalised the preserved croc skull. Besides priceless antiques and Asthadhatu idols were stolen and smuggled from the palace. Even there are instances of treasure hunt with royal graves being dug up by burglars in the cemetery.

“As the forest department, with its limited infrastructure, is unable to meet with the heavy flow of tourists to Bhitarkanika, the idea to turn the palace into a resort struck us. Roughly 10 km road ride from the palace would take one to Jaynagar ghat from where a half-an-hour ride by boat would take the visitors to the virgin mangrove forest,” Bhanjadeo said.