Largely 'neglected' Pataleshwar shrine on Odisha's Niyamagiri hills cries for attention

Chatikana is at a distance of 44 km from Rayagada district headquarters. It is home to the vast Niyamgiri hills, which are part of the Eastern Ghats. At the foot of this hill is the famous 'Pataleshwar Shiva Shrine' which is full of natural beauty. Not only from Odisha, but thousands of tourists from outside the state also visit this place.

A stream flows along the temple. It provides irrigation facilities to the farmland. Tourists flock here to see the stream and enjoy the natural beauty. However, tourists are upset that the shrine has not been renovated.

“This is a beautiful spot for the tourists. I have been thinking of coming here for a long time. Finally, I got a chance to come here today. Though the place is beautiful, it needs to be developed even more for more tourists to come and enjoy the beauty it has to offer,” said a tourist, Prajit Mohanty.

Another tourist Sandhya Sahu said, “I have come here for the first time. This is a beautiful place. But there are not enough shops around here for the tourists to buy things.”

Speaking about the temple, the priest of Pataleswar temple, S Srinivas said, “The temple is around 100 to 150 years old. I have been serving the Lord for the last 32 years. While devotees and tourists from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh come here to visit, this place lacks basic amenities. I would urge the state government to look after this shrine.”

Meanwhile, the District Tourism Officer Bhagaban Khora admitted that the old shrine and the waterfall do not have the required facilities.

“This year, the government has sanctioned Rs 86 lakh for its upgradation and it will be renovated soon. Apart from that, there is a way-side amenities centre set up at Chatikana. A haat has also been set up for Dongria tribes at Chatikana,” he said.