BHUBANESWAR: The 71st Monks, Caves and Kings hosted excited participants from various walks of life in its latest edition. Students and professionals, young and old, all woke up early to take a stroll on the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri and learnt about the glories of past Kalinga empires.
Guide Satyaswaroop Mishra wowed the audience with his knowledge of the history and culture of the twin hills. Many residents of Bhubaneswar, who attended the heritage walk in the famous Jain heritage site for the first time, loved the idea of curated walks and wanted more of them in the future.
Minakshi, who resides and owns a boutique in Chennai, said “Even though I am born and brought up in Bhubaneswar, I never knew many of the stories and facts about our culture that I learned today. The walk was very interesting and informative. I enjoyed it more as it was conducted in the morning.” She also believes that more people (local as well as tourists) should be made aware of these heritage walks.
swini, a student, had a great time learning about the details of the lives of monks and kings of the past. Although he is a localite, this was his first heritage walk and he loved the way it was curated.
Currently under the Ekamra Walks, the first guided heritage walk of the city, the Monks, Caves and Kings at the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri on Saturday morning, Old Town Circuit on Sunday morning and an afternoon walk on Sunday at Kala Bhoomi, the Museum of Art and Craft at Gandamunda near Pokhariput have attracted hundreds of visitors in the weekend.
It can be noted here that while during the World Cup Hockey, nature trails were also initiated at Chandaka and Nandankanan including cycle trails, with the huge success of the Ekamra Walks several other initiatives have also started to attract visitors, some with special themes catering to needs of niche groups with interests in specific subjects.
A heritage walk near Barabati Fort will showcase the rich heritage of the Millennium City, which was once the epicenter of administration, business and education in pre and post-Independence India.