The idea incorporates planting of saplings adorned and associated with religious feelings of people.
Forest Department in Udupi district is planning to introduce “Devi Vana” project in Kollur area to attract the devotees who visit the temple. As many as 135 hectares have been earmarked for the purpose at Amparu-Siddhapur stretch. This area is 25 kilometres away from Kollur. ACF, Kundapur Division Manjunath Shetty informed Deccan Herald that the project aims to raise the religious and spiritually valuable trees and will be implemented in one month.
The government will sanction Rs 1 crore each year for the period of five years under this programme, he added.
The project is introduced to capture the attention of devotees who come to Kollur to offer prayers to Goddess Mookambika. The programme is associated with the sentiments of people and at the same time, it helps to build a rapport between trees and people.
Forest Department is planning to assign the maintenance part of work to the localities. Besides this, the Vana is structured in a way to shape out into tourist destination by setting up amenities to facilitate the visitors.
Shetty said: “We are planning to set up a nursery and medicinal plant garden adjacent to Devi Vana. The nursery will help the visitors to purchase the seedlings of the saplings and trees of their choice. The medicinal plant garden is envisaged on the model of “Chitrakuta” near Kodachadri. “This is the area where we find countless varieties of medicinal plants. Besides this, the plan incorporates the idea to introduce the project of theme park representing the rich spiritual culture of the area. Statues of Goddess Mookambika, Mookasura will be installed in the midst of Devi Vana. A walking track will also be built,” he added. Saplings of the trees like “Ashwatha”, “Kadamba”, “Kadira”, “Mutthuga Vriksha”, “Chandana”, “Raktha Chandana” “Ashoka” will be planted in Devi Vana.
The 134 hectares of land is segregated into various divisions and is named accordingly. “Nakshatra Vana”, “Navagraha Vana”, “Rashi Vana” are some of the names chosen to identify the segregated areas.
Shetty informed that consecutively the department is planning to set up a jungle park. Trees are not allowed to cut in these Vanas and measures will be taken to support highest density of trees in the area, he added.