Jnanapitha Award winning author, journalists among Ekamra Walkers
Bhubaneswar, June 11: The 26th Ekamra Walks, the guided heritage walk of the Temple city, today got a galaxy of writers, litterateurs and journalists as they came as a delegation from the on-going Kalina Literature Festival – 2017.
Among the visitors were famous best-selling Marathi author Balchandra Vanaji Nemade, writer, poet, critic and linguistics scholar of repute, who is a recipient of the coveted Jnanapitha Award in 2014 for his novel Hindu: Jagnya Samruddha Adgal. He is also a recipient of the Central Sahitya Akademi Award and Padmashri.
The famous author, who has taught comparative literature in India and abroad and also a frequent visitor to Odisha, said “Odisha has a treasure which is unique in its own way. People are gradually discovering it and those in the Western world and Indian metros should come to explore the poetry written on stone by the craftsmen from Utkala.’’
“Initiative like Ekamra Walks would definitely help in helping them re-discover this land of artistic excellence, for which the region is also named after art or `kala’, ‘’ he added.
Two groups were formed for today’s Ekamra Walks and more than 40 people participated. While one group included delegates from KLF-2017, the other group included visitors, students and other participants.
Senior Editor NDTV Hindi Ravish Kumar, who came to attend KLF-2017 was delighted to see the treasure of artistic monuments in the Old Town area of the Ekamra Kshetra and said “every temple here is like a big volume of artistic book written and carved through the efficient carvings and poetic expressions with all detailing and imagination.’’
He, however, advised that the traditional information boards and hoardings near the temple have become so old fashioned and miniscule in providing such data, that there should be an attempt to have more detailed information boards with beautiful photographs so that visitors and locals would be forced to come to visit monuments with much curiosity.’’
Suggesting that the storey-telling style of the guides must be on interesting anecdotes and not just chronicling historic facts, the senior journalist also added that if the city could have information boards on the monuments in public places or parks, then more people and especially kids would show more interest in these historic monuments.
Among others writer and Group Editor ABP News Network Shazi Zamann, Editor Rajkamal Publishers Satyanand Nirupam, journalist from Bihar Girindranath Jha, journalist from New Delhi Vineet Kumar, CMD Rajkamal Publishers Ashok Maheswari, founder KLF Rashmi Ranjan Parida and co-convenor Kamalakanta Dash were with the delegation.
Soumi Das, Delhi based teacher with Mothers International School, who was part of the Ekamra Walks said “the entire walk provided an interesting insight into the past history of the city, which was earlier known as Ekamra Khetra.’’
KLF founder Rashmi Ranjan Parida said “with this kind of successful venture both the civic authorities and Odisha Tourism must try to have a cycle tour for interested participants, who want to visit places like Dhauli, Khandagiri-Udayagiri and 64 Yogini in a day by cycle.’’
Today the Odisha Tourism extended transport services to the guests from KLF-2017. The participants of the 26th Ekamra Walks today visited Mukteswar, Parsuremeswar, Bindusagar, Ananta Vasudev, Brahma Temple, Lingaraj Temple, Sari Temple, Parikrama around Bindusagar, Mohini Temple, Medicinal Plant Garden Ekamra Van and saw a beautiful recital of Odissi at Art Vision.
Eminent Odissi and Mayurbhanj Chhow exponent Ileana Citaristi explained the genesis of the Odissi dance form from the sculptures from the temple walls and also gave an insight into the various steps and stages in the dance form in Odissi.
During the visit to Sari Temple near the bank of Bindusagar the visitors had an experience to observe the traditional temple making and restoration. They also had a brief visit to see how the traditional community kitchen runs in Ananta Vasudev Temple. It is the only Vishnu temple in the entire Ekamra Kshetra.
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