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Fascinating stories of the past of Odisha will be presented to tourists as the Hindu temple 'Lingaraj', Buddhist pagoda ‘Shanti Stupa’ and other heritage sites in and around Bhubaneswar are now part of a walking tour. A walking tour is travelling to a historical or cultural site on foot, frequently in an urban setting.
The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has launched a guided walking tour to various heritage sites to promote the state's rich culture and history. ‘Odisha Walks’, as it was christened, will take an enthusiast to 10th-century Mukteswar and 11th-century Lingaraj temples, Shanti Stupa, Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves. Guides will tell the tales of those places to the tourists.
“These five guided tours along the identified heritage circuits would help reveal the city's rich architectural treasures, culture, traditions, rituals and customs,” OTDC chairperson Lenin Mohanty said. Besides the famous Lingaraj and Mukteswar temples, the 7th-century Parasurameswar Temple in the city is also dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda was built on the site where the Kalinga War was fought in 261 BC when emperor Ashoka invaded Kalinga, present-day Odisha. A pagoda was built there by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha in 1972. Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves with stone carvings created somewhere around 2nd century BC are located 7 kilometres from Bhubaneswar.
The Odisha Walks will be organised from Friday to Sunday every week from 6.30 to 8.30 am. The OTDC has plans to add more such guided walking tours across different heritage destinations of the state and they will be curated and organised in a phased manner. Tourism director Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav said the initiative would not only promote heritage tourism but also make people aware of the state's rich cultural legacy.
(With PTI inputs)
