Cuttack: To make the heritage enthusiasts of the Twin Cities conversant with the rich traditions of ‘Chandi Medhas’ of the Millennium City, the members of Cuttack Heritage Walks (CHW) Thursday organised a curated heritage trail around the living tradition of Silver filigree work. The walk started from Madhusudan Sangrahalaya near Sailabala Women’s College. Around 40 heritage enthusiasts, from various walks of life, participated in the 65th edition of the heritage walks series. Eminent writer, ex-bureaucrat and former journalist Raja Parija, who had written several books about Cuttack, led the walk.
Parija shared the genesis of the rich tradition and the socio-economic dynamics of the people associated with making the Chandi Medhas, including the contributions by the Muslim artisans. Author, heritage enthusiast, academician and convener of CHW Dipak Samantarai shared how the tradition started at Binod Bihari in the early fifties. “Later, during the late fifties, Choudhury Bazaar had the first Chandi Medha and after 2000, various local pandals started taking up the decoration with their stride,” Samantarai said. Parija, through his lucid narrative, briefed the participants on how the Chandi Medhas are made with some basic elements, their periodic cleaning and how the unique brotherhood among the Hindus and Muslims is also reflected in the tradition of making the pandals.