Chandauli (Uttar Pradesh), January 15 (IANS): The little known Aurwatand Waterfall, found in the dense forests of Chandauli district, will soon get its place in the sun.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to develop it as an eco-tourism hotspot.
The Aurwatand Waterfall on the Karmanasa River in the dense jungle with prehistoric rock paintings is a beautiful eco-tourism spot on the Vindhya Circuit.
However, this waterfall, about 25 km from Rajdari-Devdari Falls, has remained undeveloped and unadvertised for decades.
Not many in Uttar Pradesh are aware of the existence of this tourist place in Chandauli, the vicinity of Varanasi, which has great potential for ecotourism with natural waterfalls, rare prehistoric rock paintings and other natural beauties.
To boost the tourism potential of Aurwatand, the Chandauli administration has sent a proposal of Rs 2 crore to the state government.
Chandauli district magistrate Esha Dohan said, “There are many places of natural beauty in Chandauli which are important from the point of view of tourism. A proposal of Rs 2 crore has been sent to the government to develop Urwatand as an eco-tourism spot.”
She said Urwatand is surrounded by natural valleys on three sides and has rare prehistoric rock paintings around the waterfall which drops from a height of about 200 feet.
In order to develop this region as a tourism destination with environmentally friendly local products and technology, attention has also been paid to the proposal to increase the local economy.
Nature can be photographed here along with site views from the scaffolding. Besides, there will be rock climbing, zip line, low rope course, commando net wall, tire net wall, etc., for adventure tourism.
Key features include construction of an office building using local materials and technology, construction of a large entrance gate with local stones, bamboo shops selling local products, teak wood railings, parking, signage with complete information about the area, sandstone benches and landscaping to enhance The beauty of the area.
The ancient city of Varanasi, which is a hub for pilgrimage and tourism, also offers an exciting excursion to its visitors in the surrounding areas like Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sunbhadra, which has many tourist destinations full of natural beauty as well as adventure trails.
Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandauli district is one of the sanctuaries that show off the magnificent landscape.
It has been home to the Asiatic Lions due to its beautiful picnic areas, dense forests, and stunning waterfalls.
Waterfalls like Rajdari and Devdari add wonderful charm to the lush green environment of the sanctuary during the rainy season. With its many caves and mountains, it is an ideal destination for adventure travel.
In neighboring Mirzapur, the Vindhyachal Corridor, one of Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath’s dream projects, is also being developed similar to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi.
Besides, Chunar in Mirzapur, about 40 km from Varanasi, has the imposing Chunar Fort along the Ganga River.
The forests in the Vindhya ranges along the Ganga are perfect for a day trip.
Sonbhadra is famous for Fossil Park, which houses 150-crore-year-old fossils located in Salkhanarea.
The park, which is spread over an area of 25 hectares, is located near the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary and is about 16 km from Robertsganj, the seat of the Sonbhadra.
The area has, in the past several decades, been neglected by governments and little effort has been made to develop the area as a tourist spot even though it has huge potential.
With the focus now being the Aurwatand Falls, the area is all set to become a tourist hotspot.