BHUBANESWAR: Cuttack Heritage Walks launched its first edition “Barabati Beckons” at Barabati Fort in Cuttack Sunday. The purpose of the walks is to introduce and create a love amongst the citizens for heritage and history.
‘Barabati Fort’, the 13th-century marvel built by the Ganga dynasty near Cuttack, Odisha, is colossal in the history of the state. The ruins of the fort remain with its moat, gate, and the mound with the nine-storied palace, which evokes the memories of hoary past. This will generate awareness and concern for our rich heritage which is a necessity of our times.
‘Barabati Beckons’ began near Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium at 6.30 am and covered the ruins of Barabati Palace, Barabati Gate, Mote, Sahi Quila Mosque, Gada Chandi Temple, Judicial Museum and terminated at Biju Pattnaik Museum, Anand Bhawan at around 8.30 am.
From the Barabati ruins, the heritage walkers headed for the fort entrance and from there, via Shahi Quila Mosque and Gada Chandi Temple, towards the Judicial Museum. This used to be the official residence of the Odisha Chief Justice till 2012. The premiseshas photographs of all its illustrious residents, including the last chief justice to live there, Justice Gowda Gopala Gowda in 2012.
“We should all act as pressure groups and make the government list whatever has emerged in the excavations and create a museum here to preserve those,” said Dipak Samantarai, a former All India Radio assistant director and organiser of ‘Barabati Beckons’.