Dhosi Hill in Aravallis to be on national tourism map

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, March 6

Dhosi Hill, known as an extinct volcano in the North-West end of the Aravalli range, will be on the national tourism map as National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) has floated a tender for developing, operation and maintenance of a 900-metre-long ropeway to the hill in the district.

Sources said the project would cost Rs 58.33 crore and would be completed in two years. The Centre had recently entrusted the NHLML to execute the project on the hybrid annuity mode.

In a state of neglect

• At present, Dhosi Hill is in a state of neglect. It lacks basic facilities, such as potable water, toilets and food court
• Only stairs are available to reach the top of the hill, but their supporting walls are broken at several points, posing a threat to safety of the visitors

“The NHLML is engaged in the development of allied ropeway-infrastructure projects and as part of this endeavour, it has decided to undertake the project on the design, build, operate and transfer basis and carry out the bidding process for the selection of a private entity,” the sources added.

The sources said a team from the Centre had, last year, visited the hills to find out the feasibility of the ropeway project. Before it, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also arrived here and announced that Dhosi Hill would be developed as a tourist destination keeping in view of its historical significance.

The hill, located on the border of Haryana and Rajasthan, is also known as a treasure of herbs as it is a place where ‘chyawanprash — a paste of 46 herbs — was discovered by Rishi Chyavana, who practiced penance here for many years.

On the top of the hill, there is a temple dedicated to Chavan Rishi. The hill also has other temples, pond, caves and forest around it.

At present, Dhosi Hill is in a state of neglect. It lacks basic facilities, such as, potable water, toilets and food court. Only stairs are available to reach the top of the hill, but their supporting walls are broken at several points, posing a threat to visitors’ safety.

“Thousands of people in and outside India visit Jaipur and surrounding tourist places of Rajasthan during the winters every year. The ropeway facility will attract them to Dhosi Hill, which will not only promote tourism, but also provide employment to locals,” said Abhay Singh Yadav, MLA from Nangal Choudhary.

Yadav said the project was likely to be completed well before the stipulated time of two years. “Since Mahendragarh district has many historical places, so the tourists will also get an opportunity to visit these places besides Dhosi Hill,” he added.