CUTTACK: Brace up for a close encounter with the dreaded flesh-eating Piranhas, the ferocious predators that have sent chills down the spine in their Hollywood avatars, here in Cuttack.
The Odisha State Maritime Museum on Thursday threw open a gigantic aquarium replete with not only the much-feared Amazonian species but also a host of other rare and exotic marine life including fishes and plants from across the world.
The aquarium, spanning 3,000 sq ft with large tanks and segment exhibits, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Set up at a cost of `2.5 crore, the one-of-its kind project in the country has around 11 sections for exhibiting marine and plant life from different parts of the globe including India and Odisha.
There is a gallery dedicated to the mighty Amazon, whose rich and wide bio-diversity is unparallelled. It houses a host of aquatic species native and unique to the river from Black Piranha to Arapaima, the largest fresh water fish species in the world, and the red tail cat fish. There is also a section on Africa comprising the most unique species like the striped Frontosa Chichlid from lake Tanganyika spanning Tanzania, Congo, Burundi and Zambia.
Odisha’s own marine life will also prominently feature in the aquarium with several native species of Mahanadi, Baitarani rivers and Chilika lake being exhibited. A Japanese Koi Pond will also be a major highlight as it would allow direct feeding of the fishes by visitors through the open tank.
The aquarium has been set up by the Still Waters Aquariums, Bangalore in association with Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). “It starts off with 60 species of fishes and aquatic life with more to be added gradually,” Museum Director, Basudev Mohapatra said.
The project would be a major attraction for the Maritime Museum at Old Jobra workshop that was set up in April last year. The museum has 10 galleries showcasing the rich maritime history and traditions of the State. More than a lakh visitors have gone around the museum in the last one year.