Odisha Tourism dept responds after Anand Mahindra’s remark on Sundargarh’s Kanhakund

In a remarkable display of the power of the Internet, Odisha Tourism, along with thousands of online netizens, is looking to tap into the tourism potential of Kanhakund, also known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Odisha’, and located in Sundargarh district.

The chain of events happened after a Delhi-based traveller, Aarayansh, shared pictures of Kanhakund on the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter) and mentioned its “clear blue waters” and “granite beds”. In the same post, he questioned why such offbeat places were not on the tourism map of India.

Anand Mahindra sees tourism potential in Kanhakund:

The post soon reached Anand Mahindra, the Chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, who then reposted the pictures and asked that there was no need to compare them to the Grand Canyon as they were unique in their own way. Continuing further, he also tagged the official Odisha Tourism handle and asked “What can we do to make this first a national destination and then a global hot spot?”

Odisha Tourism responds:

Soon enough, the post got lakhs of views and people from across the country commented the same as Mahindra and requested the Odisha government to take steps in the same direction. In its response, Odisha Tourism replied “We’re working on enhancing infrastructure, creating sustainable tourism experiences, and promoting such unique destinations on national and international platforms.”

Thank you! We're thrilled to have your attention on Kanhakund, one of Odisha’s most stunning hidden gems which has the potential to become a national and global hotspot. Odisha Tourism is committed to showcasing this and many such underrated treasures, and we’re working on…

— Odisha Tourism (@odisha_tourism) February 27, 2025

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Where is Kankhaund and why can it be a tourism hub?

Located in Sundargarh, Kanhakund is a natural rock formation on the River Ib and is about 130 kilometres from both Sambalpur and Rourkela, making it a popular tourist destination. However, outside of western Odisha, the spot has not received much attention and is not common knowledge. As such, many wished for it to become a sustainable tourism hub that would promote both the local economy and ensure the upkeep of the site.