Bhubaneswar, Dec. 18: People in the city might have made innumerable trips to the temples at Old Town here, but this morning's heritage tour was different. It was an opportunity to marvel the distinct architectural legacy of the city while enjoying the tales associated with it over the ages.

The first Ekamra Walks, the weekly on-foot more than two kilometres heritage trip for visitors, started today. About 70 heritage enthusiasts took part in the walk that covers some of the most beautiful, unique and well-preserved monuments here.

The walk through the meandering lanes and by-lanes of the tradition-soaked Old Town began with Mukteswar Temple, where the participants were divided into two groups.

Local guide Satya Mishra gave a detailed description on the genesis and evolution of the various temple designs in this region and how both the Buddhist and Hindustani architectural styles got infused in the process.

Director of Odisha Tourism Nitin B. Jawale said: "As a city, we have the maximum concentration of monuments in the entire world. However, tourism-related activities were dormant. This weekly tour will create an interest among tourists along with the local people to know more about the heritage of this place."

The groups visited Parasurameswar, Ananta Vasudev, Lingaraj, Chitrakarini and Vaitaal temples and also the bank of Bindusagar and Ekamra Van.

A visit to one of the two "dharmashalas" on the eastern bank of Bindusagar was exciting for the visitors as they got to know about its history and also saw its unique architecture. Both the low-cost rest houses for pilgrims were built in the 1920s.#Forest official Ashok Mishra explained the concept of Ekamra Van, the medicinal plant garden, to visitors.

The heritage walk was an enriching experience for the participants. "We found more reasons to admire the temples and the monuments today. Often we miss the essence of these historic places as we dwell more on the architecture instead of the stories associated with these iconic landmarks," said a participant Sujit Mahapatra.

"The walk will have minimum 30 people in a group and a guide will be provided for assistance. If we get more response in the future, the walk could also be organised on weekdays," said tourism secretary Arti Ahuja.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Odisha Tourism, Bhubanswar Development Authority will organise the event every week, while city-based tourism start-up Detour Odisha Private Limited has been given the task of co-ordination.

Patha Utsav

The fourth Patha Utsav held here today promoted the use of renewable energy. Four solar and one battery-operated vehicles took around senior citizens and differently-abled people to promote the concept of non-motorised vehicles. Some traditional folk dances were also showcased at today's Patha Utsav. The participants enjoyed Pala and Das Kathia performances staged at the event.

Twelve kids from Prativa Orphanage had a gala time at the Patha Utsav as Joy Odisha team had made special arrangements for them. School and college students engaged in playing cricket, while many also came on their own bicycles.