Bhubaneswar: ‘Ekamra Heritage Walks’, which celebrates the city’s rich architectural treasures, its traditions, rituals and customs through guided walks, will be back next year with additional features like exploring traditional cuisines of Odisha through a food trail.
This third edition of the walks will include places like Ekamra Kshetra, the Buddhist circuit and temples like the Chausathi Yogini, besides visits to museum.
According to sources, the Bhubaneswar Development Authorities (BDA) will hire an expert agency to curate the events related to the walks between January and March on a larger scale. “Bhubaneswar is a city with a history that dates back to the 5th and 6th centuries and being a smart city, it is a preferred urban destination in India. The project is designed on the philosophy of exploration and connecting to one’s roots,” the agency stated in its tender document.
The first edition was organised in 2018 and the second during the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in January this year. The walk covering Lingaraj circuit usually starts at 6.30 am on every Sunday morning from the premises of Mukteswar temple and ends at Ekamra Van, the medicinal plant garden on the Western bank of Bindusagar, covering nearly 2 km. Monks, Caves and Kings, the heritage tour in the Twin Hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri explores the stories behind the caves, carvings, stories of the famous Jain monument, which had also received royal patronage in the past.
