Odisha govt signs MoU for sound & light shows

BHUBANESWAR: After being put on the backburner for years, the sound and light show at three historic sites of the state has finally come to the fast-track. The state government on Tuesday signed an MoU with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) for introduction of sound and light show at three major heritage sites - the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, the Peace Pagoda at Dhauli and the Konark Sun Temple.
The deadline of the project has been fixed for Nabakalebar scheduled for July 2015.
"All these three heritage sites of our state represent a confluence of faiths - Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. I complement the tourism department for making this project happen. This project has the potential to attract more tourists," said chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was present during the signing of the MoU.
The Union government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore each for the three sites while a total of Rs 19.31 crore will be spent on the projects. The rest of the amount will be spent from the state government's coffers, official sources said.
The project will use state-of-the-art technology to highlight the legends and stories. Each sound and light show would be played for at least 30 minutes. The show at Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves will highlight emperor Kharavela's rule, at Dhauli the story will be on the Kalinga War near the Dhauli Hill and its aftermath and at Konark, the feat of Bishu Maharana's son Dharmapada will be featured.
"Sound and light shows at various historic places across the country played a vital role in attracting tourists, especially after sunset," said ITDC director (finance) Trinath Behera. He said ITDC would take charge of the maintenance of the show for the next five years.
Behera said, that since Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was unlikely to give his voice to the show, other famous personalities such as Javed Akhtar, Om Puri, Suresh Oberoi and Naseeruddin Shah will be approached.
"The sites being visited by domestic and international tourists have immense historical significance. The projects will showcase the history and culture of Odisha," said tourism and culture minister Ashok Panda.
A sound and light show was started at the Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills in 2005, but was stopped midway because of conservation issues raised by the Archeological Survey of India. The project caused severe damage to the historic site due to digging of the floor and walls of the caves for wiring.
A similar show was also proposed at the Dhauli peace pagoda in 2010.