MANDASARU - THE NATURE'S TRAIL OF EASTERN GHATS

 

Despite changing our travel schedule thrice, we did not get a reservation in the Wooden Cottage, the only place to stay in Mandasaru. With a lot of despair, it was decided to have a day trip from Daringbari, so-called “Kashmir of Odisha” by some tourists and local residents.

The distance was just 32 km and there was ample time for leisure driving through the meandering roads, hairpin bends, and forests of Phulbani district of Odisha.

We could rarely find vehicles overtaking us or coming from the opposite direction and hence we moved like “King of the Road” through the national highway.

In between, we had photo stops at few spots wherefrom the misty mountains of Eastern Ghats with lash green coverage could be seen on the horizon.

We had to keep the speed of our vehicle in control as occasional fog in some locations disturbed our visibility and it was pertinent not to take any risk in the hills especially when we were from the plain land.  

The sunlight was playing hide and seek among the tall shaded trees and the weather was perfect for enjoying nature’s trail. The temperature was hovering around ten-degree census and we had to remain contented with full sleeve sweater or jacket to combat the chilled wind.  

We learnt that there were no special tourist attraction spots in Mandasaru, but the major attraction was remaining close to nature for the entire day.

As we reached Eco-Tourism Park of Mandasaru, the location from where the entire valley was visible, we had to purchase tickets to enter the park. But before entering the park, we had a heavy breakfast as we started from Daringbari with the mission to enjoy as much time as possible in Mandasaru.

Hence, we did not waste time for breakfast in Daringbari and there was not a single food joint on the entire stretch to have breakfast.

As we entered the Eco-Tourism Park, the undulating path through the flower garden led us to a watchtower wherefrom we had a panoramic view of the entire range of Eastern Ghat Mountains and its valley.

On one side of the park, there were two wooden cottages on different levels which were fully equipped with all modern amenities and the French windows gave ample opportunity to have a view of the valley from the room itself.

Since both the rooms were occupied, we had to be contented having seen from outside and peeping into the common area maintaining decency.

The food was supplied by local female members of self-help groups who were also catering to the food supply of the tourists who were on a day tour but on pre-booked order basis. However, snacks and beverages were available on a continuous basis.

We had a stroll of few locations within the boundary of the park wherefrom the views of the valley and ridges were clear and had a good physical exercise having ascended and descended rocky steps.

There were few other tourists mainly from the district and state who had also come to enjoy the winter vacation. Some of them also had carried their own food and were enjoying the place as a picnic spot.

Before going for stroll, we had booked lunch in the restaurant which included typical Indian food consisting of rice, lentil, vegetables, fish, and pickles. The charge was reasonable and our objective was not only tasting local cuisine but also helping the ladies of the self-help groups who were toiling hard to support their families.

During the course of interaction, it was learnt that the major concentration of tourists was during winter. But the coronavirus had refrained the advent of tourists in the current year. It was also understood that since there were only two rooms in the cottage, the same remained booked on a continuous basis since the lifting of vehicular movement in the district.

Since we had already covered major spots within the Eco-tourism Park, we decided to return to Daringbari after lunch.

How to Reach

The distance between Daringbari and Mandasaru is 32 km and can be covered in around one and half hour keeping in consideration the hilly track and restricted vehicular speed. The distance between Brahmapur (nearest railhead) and Mandasaru is 150 km that can be covered in almost four hours. The distance between Bhubaneswar, the state capital, and Mandasaru is 255 km that can be covered in around six hours.

It will be a pleasant drive from the plains through hilly roads with sharp bends, but damaged roads at few spots may irritate the drivers and passengers to some extent.  

Boarding & Lodging

The only place to stay in Mandasaru is an Eco-Tourism cottage that can only be booked online through their website. There are proposals for setting up a few homestays outside Eco-tourism Park which are under consideration.

Since the entire kitchen of the park is handled by the ladies of self-help groups, the varieties of cuisines are limited and mostly stereotype. Hence tourists may not expect food as per their likings and tastes.

There is a roadside joint outside the park, where a local person can supply simple breakfast or evening snacks as also beverages. Few food joints adjacent to the park are shut down because of the low concentration of tourists.

What to Do

The place is within the lap of nature, where serenity and tranquility are the main USP. The chirping of birds, view of sunrise and sunset, misty mountains may soothe the eyes of the tourists along with a touch of a cool breeze. A leisure walk through the jungle trail or interaction with the local tribal people may bring a change of monotonous urban lives.

My Experience

Though I have not gained experience of staying overnight in Mandasaru, but apparently, it seemed that stay for a couple of days might be prescribed for urban tourists to rejuvenate their energy.

The view of lush green mountains, the sound of a flowing spring, wakeup call by various kinds of known and unknown birds and sound of cool breeze touching the leaves of gigantic trees in the park would be a different experience.

Since the place had not experienced the rays of development; a short stay would definitely induce fresh oxygen into our lungs and help to reactivate our zeal and enthusiasm.   

However, the ladies working in the eco-tourism park were taking adequate care to protect themselves and also tourists to prevent everyone from being infected.

After we had already covered major spots within the Eco-tourism Park, we decided to return to Daringbari after lunch.