Students of DAV Public School, Pokhariput, paint on the Mukteswar temple premises. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: Students of a school here have taken up an initiative to spread the message of heritage conservation.

The schoolchildren have formed a club and are visiting the historic sites regularly. They also went to the Mukteswar temple last week to host a painting session.

The 10th century Mukteswar temple near the Kedar-Gouri shrine is the epitome of Odishan temple architecture and the students created sketches of various arches, carvings and other distinct features of the temple.

Susan Das, a Class IX student and secretary of the heritage club of DAV Public School, Pokhariput, said: “We have been regularly visiting the monuments since the club’s formation in 2011 to make students future-ready for heritage conservation.”

Akhil Ranjan Dash, a teacher of the school supervising the club activities, said: “If we can inculcate the idea (of heritage conservation) in the minds of the young children, I think we could contribute to better upkeep of the sites.”

Students from classes IV to VII were involved in the painting session at Mukteswar temple. Sayan Mahato of Class VII said: “During our visit to the temples, we also clean them as many visitors disfigure them by writing stuff on the walls.”

Superintending archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India (Bhubaneswar circle) Bhuvan Vikrama said: “Efforts by schools to have heritage clubs is good. They can take the help of our moving exhibition though which the evolution of the temple art from cave art in Odisha is conceptualised. Schools can contact us for the exhibition to visit their schools.”

School principal Sujata is happy with the club activities. She said: “We are encouraging our students to take up activities, which are educative and contributory towards a social and nation-building cause.”