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| Ekamra Walks route |
Bhubaneswar, Dec 16: Starting Sunday at 6 am the Temple
City of Bhubaneswar will have its heritage walk every week starting from the
Mukteswar Temple in the Old Town area.
City of Bhubaneswar will have its heritage walk every week starting from the
Mukteswar Temple in the Old Town area.
The heritage walk, to be known as “Ekamra Walks” and
meant for connoisseurs of culture, art and heritage and niche tourists, would
end at the Mukteswar Temple again covering around 2 km via Pabaneswar,
Parsurameswar, Taleswar, Bindusagar, the kitchen complex of Ananta Basudev and
nearby shrines, old Dharmshala, Lingaraj Temple Precinct, Chitrakarini,
Papanasini, Bharati Math and Baital
temple, old world charm of the Ratha Road and its Sahis or lanes ,
medicinal plant garden at Ekamra Van, Uttareswar Temple premises before ending
at Kedar Gouri-Mukteswar Temple complex.
meant for connoisseurs of culture, art and heritage and niche tourists, would
end at the Mukteswar Temple again covering around 2 km via Pabaneswar,
Parsurameswar, Taleswar, Bindusagar, the kitchen complex of Ananta Basudev and
nearby shrines, old Dharmshala, Lingaraj Temple Precinct, Chitrakarini,
Papanasini, Bharati Math and Baital
temple, old world charm of the Ratha Road and its Sahis or lanes ,
medicinal plant garden at Ekamra Van, Uttareswar Temple premises before ending
at Kedar Gouri-Mukteswar Temple complex.
“Ekamra Kshetra” is the ancient name of Bhubaneswar
and it was once the epitome of the traditional temple building activities.
and it was once the epitome of the traditional temple building activities.
Its wealth of monuments is testament to one ancient
architectural and historical heritage covering almost 2,000 years from the 3rd
Century BC to 15th Century AD represented through a congregation of 700
temples, which once stood there. In the “Ekamra Kshetra’’ reference is also
made to “Ekonakoti Lingas” i.e. one less to a crore and a crore is completed
when `Lingaraj’ is taken into account.
architectural and historical heritage covering almost 2,000 years from the 3rd
Century BC to 15th Century AD represented through a congregation of 700
temples, which once stood there. In the “Ekamra Kshetra’’ reference is also
made to “Ekonakoti Lingas” i.e. one less to a crore and a crore is completed
when `Lingaraj’ is taken into account.
The “Ekamra Walks’’ will have minimum 30 people in
a group and will be provided with guide assistance so that the participants can
enjoy their walk learning about the brief history and traditional rituals
associated with the ancient monuments.
a group and will be provided with guide assistance so that the participants can
enjoy their walk learning about the brief history and traditional rituals
associated with the ancient monuments.
If response is more in future, then more groups and
customised “Ekamra Walks” on days other than Sunday would also be organised the
tour managers so that more and more visitors, foreign tourists and visitors to
various city hotels could be accommodated.
customised “Ekamra Walks” on days other than Sunday would also be organised the
tour managers so that more and more visitors, foreign tourists and visitors to
various city hotels could be accommodated.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Odisha Tourism,
Bhubanswar Development Authority will organise the event every week and
city-based tour start-up Detour Odisha Private Limited will work as the
programme manager and facilitator for this ambitious venture.
Bhubanswar Development Authority will organise the event every week and
city-based tour start-up Detour Odisha Private Limited will work as the
programme manager and facilitator for this ambitious venture.
In future days there are plans to include cycle
tours to the list of activities in the Heritage District of the Smart City as
it would also ensure more and more participation of tourists and promotion and
branding of the city, which was an established Shaivaite pilgrimage in the
past.
tours to the list of activities in the Heritage District of the Smart City as
it would also ensure more and more participation of tourists and promotion and
branding of the city, which was an established Shaivaite pilgrimage in the
past.
It can be mentioned here that with the priceless
heritage sites across the city, the “Ekamra Walks’’ would certainly put the
Capital City in a proper perspective of tourism promotion and contribution
towards development of a niche sector as the region holds several prized
monuments with unique architecture and style representing rich Odishan temple
design, which had started since 7th Century AD.
heritage sites across the city, the “Ekamra Walks’’ would certainly put the
Capital City in a proper perspective of tourism promotion and contribution
towards development of a niche sector as the region holds several prized
monuments with unique architecture and style representing rich Odishan temple
design, which had started since 7th Century AD.
The tour will also help the visitors to have
interactions with local inhabitants, priests, observing the rituals and
traditions.
interactions with local inhabitants, priests, observing the rituals and
traditions.