Following are excerpts from a Pioneer report by Pradipta Mishra.

Orissa is a real treasure hunt for nature lovers and off-beat tourists. ..

One such hidden spot is Grangu Kuti or Ganga Kuti in tribals-dominated Kandhamal district. Thirteen km from Raikia, a small town above Kalinga Ghat in Kandhamal district, Grangu Kuti is about 260 km from Bhubaneswar. Along the way one comes across beautiful tribal villages and dense forests along with ancient townships like Bhanjanagar, famous for its enchanting lake, and Ghumusar Udayagiri. A drive to Grangu Kuti is like a good appetiser before a lavish lunch.

In local Kui language, Grangu means dangerous and Kuti connotes gorge. Wordsworth, however, would have called it a heavenly gorge. Such is the beauty of the place that it would turn a hardcore criminal a poet!

Grangu Kuti is a deep gorge surrounded by cloud-capped tall and densely-forested mountains. Local tourists and picnickers go down to the bottom of the gorge to listen to the breathing of nature goddess. Sound of the waterfall nearby and that of the small fountain flowing close to your leg with its crystal clear water is a lifetime experience.

The gorge is about one and a half km long and its width nearly one km. One can go either side of it and go deep as well. The whole area is a lavish feast to one’s eyes. But for one’s belly, he has to travel three km, even for a packet of biscuits. Lunch is 13 km away at Raikia. And accommodation! Forget about a hotel; the only nearest place to stay is a PWD bungalow at Raikia. Here too, one has to do a three-km walk for his morning tea.

… Moreover, the place is only about 50 km from a better-known tourist destination, Daringibadi. …

In fact, Gangru Kutis and Daringibadis have all the potential to emerge as international tourism hubs as they possess tall hills, virgin forests, perennial fountains and charming flora and fauna.