Jharsuguda, a District Headquarters and small town in western Odisha is connected with an Airport and Railways .The town was known as Jharguda in the earlier days when railways section of Raigarh-Jharsuguda in 1st August 1890 was opened .The station was first named as Sambalpur Road and then Jharguda and then Jharsuguda. The present day Jharsuguda is one of the most prominent business hubs and highest per capita income areas of Odisha. In addition, the Jharsuguda District and the town itself is blessed with natural beauty, temples, huge mineral reserves, industries and more importantly some mesmerizing ancient Rock Arts dating back to around 10000-15000 years back.
One such ancient treasure of Rock Art cave is located at Ulapgarh, approximately 30 KMs away from the Jharsuguda town.
With some of our Rock Art enthusiasts like Ramesh Swain, Abhishekh Lath, Dr Ashok Panda(Sr. Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Author), and none other than the veteran in this field of Rock Arts, Dr Sadashiv Pradhan, we headed for this site where thousands of years back the human race once flourished even before the Indus Civilization.
With cameras and books on Rock Arts, we started from Jharsuguda and reached this site in the deep forest where we were shown the arts made by our ancestors on the rocks with the use of hematite powders. Arts of human palms, animals, human figures, honeycombs are still present.
Unknown, unprotected, vandalised by vagaries of weather and humans, the arts made by our ancestors are not only a pride for all Jharsuguda people and mankind but also a source of study material for the research scholars.
If protected and brought to the notice of tourists and adventurists, the area can be a major tourist destination for many native and foreign tourists, and thus a source of additional revenue for the localities. The Australian, Chinese and American models of protecting as well as offering these sites to tourism sector can be implemented. One of the major part of Australian and Chinese tourism constitute Rock Art tourism.
Apart from the economic angle, our next generation also can be made aware that we are part of such an ancient civilization which had flourished here .There are many other sites that can be explored near Ulabgarh if proper research work is done.
………At the end we returned with memories and nostalgia…..we all belong to this place….our forefathers evolved here….painted this art pieces unknowingly that oneday these pieces will create curiosity among all of us…..
(Ulapgarh is around 30 KMs from Jharsuguda near Belpahar. Jharsuguda is connected with roadways, Railways and Airways. Tourists can stay at Jharsuguda and make trip to Ulabgarh by road)
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