Bhubaneswar: Architects, researchers, charted accountants, doctor and HR professional from India and abroad joined the 122nd Ekamra Walks and were delighted to know the unique temple building style and unique architectural patterns of the Kalingan temples as the signature structures started appearing on the horizons across Odisha and especially around the Temple City since 6th Century AD and flourished here and made a massive impact in the socio-religious aspects of the society.
Aditya Agarwal, an architect with Siddharth Das Studio, New Delhi, who joined the Ekamra Walks with his two colleagues Elise, also an architect from Norway and researcher and archivist Fengwen Lin from China, said “the narratives describing the temple architecture and style was very interesting and the beautiful Odissi dance recital by the disciples of Guru Padma Shri Ileana Citaristi was very unique and inspiring. I found the heritage walk as a complete experince knowing the essence of the old culture and traditions of the Ekamra Kshetra, the ancient name for Bhubaneswar.”
Aditya, Elise and Fengwen are working on a research and design project here in Bhubaneswar and are likely to stay here some more days and explore more and more monuments for their architectural beauty and aesthetics so that they can study local patterns and ideas to inculcate those ideas into their creations in future.
DVR Poosha, from Samalkota in Andhra Pradesh, a practicing psychologist, who came to the heritage walk for the first time, said “I had been to Odisha on many occasions, but missed this unique thing. Today after joining the same I have realised the essence of the Kalingan architecture and could also relate to many structures in South as at a time in the past many Kalingan rulers have conquered parts of South India.”
Kaushal Pujara, a chartered accountant from Mumbai and his wife Yashmi Pujara, an HR professional, who are on a six-day trip to the city and nearby areas, said “we have come to Odisha for the first time and completed the places in Puri and Bhubaneswar. Tomorrow we are heading towards Konark to see the rising sun on the Chandrabhaga beach. Odisha is a beautiful, peace-loving and full of beautiful sights which need to be projected in the national and international fora more and more so that people will come as travelers in good numbers.”
Amit Singla, a senior resident with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar came and joined the walk with his charted accountant wife Jyoti Singla. “We have heard much about the heritage walk from our friends in AIIMS as many had joined in the past. It was indeed a wonderful experience to be part of the beautiful thing which also comes with the Odissi session and the trip to the medicinal plant garden Ekamra Van.”
Dipti, an intern with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), a student of TERI (Energy and Resources Institute) New Delhi and researcher from Kolkata Ayona Bhaduri, currently working on a project on performing art with Utkal University, termed the Ekamra Walks Old Town Circuit as an enriching experience.
Guide Satyaswaroop Mishra while speaking on the temple architecture and style, also explained how the structures evolved to accommodate more people and also how personalized deities have become community-based places for worship and also having people-oriented structures with waiting, meeting and other places of day-to-day basis requirements.
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