SAMBALPUR: Tourist destinations in and around Sambalpur city wore a deserted look on Tuesday as people avoided moving out amid fears around coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak.
Samaleswari temple, the abode of presiding deity of undivided Sambalpur district which usually attracts thousands of devotees on Tuesdays, witnessed a remarkable fall in footfall on the day.President of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board Sanjay Baboo said more than 6,000 devotees visit the shrine every Tuesday.
During Tuesdays of Chaitra Maasa, considered as a holy month in Shakti Pithas, the temple witnesses a footfall of around 15,000 devotees.“Though today was a Tuesday of Odia month of Chaitra, the shrine witnessed a drastically low turnout due to the COVID-19 scare,” he said.
Similarly, there has been a sharp decrease in footfall at other tourist destinations like Hirakud Dam, the leaning temple at Huma and Ghanteswari temple.Meanwhile, Hirakud Dam authorities shut down both the Gandhi and Nehru Minars besides the Jawahar Udyan.
The minars and Jawahar Udyan are the major attractions for tourists visiting the dam. Earlier, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) had closed the ropeway service which connects Jawahar Udyan with Gandhi Minar. The Wild Animal Conservation Centre, popularly known as Deer Park, was also closed from Tuesday.
District Tourist Officer Hemanta Pradhan apart from drop in visitor footfall, the hotels in the city are also witnessing dip in occupancy.
Currently, no foreign tourist is visiting in the district. However, 25 foreign tourists visited Sambalpur between February 13 and March 13. “We have already given detailed information about the foreign visitors to the Government,” he said.