Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 18: Heritage sites in the city were all decked up to mark the occasion of International Heritage Day Saturday. A plethora of programmes were organised by the state department of culture and private organisations to celebrate the day with much fanfare. People took part in large numbers in the programmes that were held across the city.
The culture department organised a heritage walk starting from the famous Rajarani temple to Ekamra Bana. En-route, the rally covered other heritage sites like Mukteswar Temple, Swarna Jaleswar Temple, Koti Tirtheswar Temple, Ananta Basudev Temple, and Boital temple.
People from diverse age groups hit the streets on the weekend to mark the occasion, which is also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites. A number of students dressed in white T-shirts took part in the event. Many cultural groups were also present during the walk, lending it an atmosphere of festivity and cheer. Tourism minister Ashok Panda and secretary Aravind Padhee too participated in the event early in the morning after flagging off the event.
“I came to know about the event and its significance through newspapers. As it was my day off from work, I decided to come to the venue in order to be a part of the heritage walk. Orissa has a rich heritage and people the state should be proud of it and should protect it. My main intention of coming for the programme was to help in raising awareness about existing monuments and historic sites in our city and also to suggest ways to protect it,” said Sandeep Behera, a bank employee.
The Khandagiri Anchalika Bikash Parishad (KABP) also organised celebrations to commemorate the day. The outfit organised a cleanliness drive at Khandagiri-Udayagiri hills in the city to create awareness among the people towards upkeep of historic sites. Members of the association and other citizens living in the area joined hands to clean the area on the day.
“The main purpose of the event was to create awareness among the mass towards upkeep of the heritages situated in their area. We organised a cleanliness drive to give a message to the society towards the cleanliness of their heritage site. We made sure the people living in the area contribute in their own way to maintain the scenic beauty of the twin hills,” said U N Misra, treasurer of KABP.
