After remaining closed for around five months in view of the monsoon, the Similipal National Park has been reopened for tourists today.
According to park sources, tourists can enter the second-largest biosphere in Asia between 6 am and 9 am. While 35 vehicles will be allowed through Kaliani gate from Jashipur side, 25 vehicles can enter the park from Lulung in Baripada side.
The visitors have been asked to leave the park from Barehipani and Jaranda by 3 pm and Chahala by 4 pm.
The park authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the tourists.
For the first time this year, the park has been declared as a plastic-free area. The park authorities have roped in local self help groups (SHGs) to offer an array of cooked delicacies to the visitors. The visitors have to loosen the purse strings to taste these mouth-watering items including some authentic local food items.
Spread over 2750 sq km, the park offers breathtaking views with cloud-kissing Sal trees standing as if to welcome you. The chirping of birds and the chuckles of streams will transport you to a different world. Besides hills and streams, it houses 1076 varieties of mammals, 231 species of birds and 29 species of reptiles.