Naktideula, May 10 -- Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Sunday that the Bhima Mandali caves in Rairakhol sub-division of Sambalpur, believed to be over 10,000 years old, will be developed into a premier global heritage destination.

Speaking after a foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Bhima Mandali Eco Heritage Site under the Naktideul Block of Sambalpur district, Pradhan highlighted the site's historical significance, stating that evidence suggests human civilisation flourished here long before many other globally recognised sites.

The ceremony was also attended by Odisha's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Nayak and Rairakhol MLA Prasanna Acharya.

"This site represents a vit...