The Gupteswar Forest in Odisha’s Koraput district has been declared as state’s fourth Biodiversity-Heritage Site (BHS).
- The other three are Mandasaru BHS in Kandhamala district, Mahendragiri BHS in Gajpati district, and Gandhamardan BHs in Bargarh and Bolangir districts.
- The forest is adjacent to Gupteswar Shiva temple. The site is spread over 350 hectares of demarcated area.
- Along with its sacred grooves traditionally worshipped by the local community, the site is bestowed with a wide range of flora and fauna.
- The limestone caves of Gupteswar are adorned with eight species of bats out of the total 16 species found in southern Odisha.
