Bhubaneswar, June 19: A group of youngsters took part in an awareness tour of the city's distinct architectural legacy as part of a heritage walk hosted here today.

Twenty-three youths from various walks of life took part in the journey, which took them from Mukteswar temple to Ekamra Van.

The walk through the meandering lanes and by-lanes of the tradition-soaked Old Town included a tour of heritage sites such as Mukteswar temple, Swarna Jaleswar temple, Koti Tirtheswara temple, Ananta Basudev temple, Parashurameshvara Temple and Kedar Gouri temple.

A professional tour guide accompanied the youths. Satya Mishra, a government-trained guide, told the walkers about the origin of the temples and the significance of the Shiv temples in the area.

A part of the journey also included a trip into the kitchen of Ananta Vasudeva temple, which is known for its avada, the holy food served to the Lord at Lingaraj temple. "We documented the activity inside the kitchen. There were scores of rustic kitchens, temple cooks preparing food in hot furnaces, and earthen pots filled with Odia delicacies," said Amit Jana, one the youths. Shutterbugs and bloggers also got an opportunity to learn about how to upload pictures on Google Maps.

Sourav Nanda, Google local guide community moderator, Odisha, explained the need to put up pictures of the heritage sites on Google Maps. "When we upload the pictures on a particular site, we generate content. The more the pictures, the more it becomes searchable thus putting the site on a global platform. It also gives tourists an idea about a site when he searches for it on Google," said Sourav.

The heritage walk was an enriching experience for the participants. "The tourist sites in the state are plagued by a number of problems such as encroachment, lack of security, and dumping of garbage. These walks will help bring these problems to the government's attention," said Sabyasachi Jana, a participant.

He added that those who took part had decided to visit one site every week and clean the nearby areas. "We will also distribute handmade pamphlets to create awareness," Jana said.

Detour Odisha, a youth-run tour group that offers customised and theme-based tours, has organised the event. The aim of the event was to promote the concept of heritage walks as a tool to conserve the city's history.

"People pass by these heritage temples everyday but are too busy or too familiar with the surroundings to notice anything. Such walks make one look back and ponder about their rich culture, myths, traditions and other rituals," said Kartik Aruda, one of the youths. "There are heritage walk communities in Calcutta, Mumbai and even in Gujarat and Assam. These communities organise such walking tours on a regular basis. We too are trying to make heritage walks a common affair here with special emphasis on school and college students," added Aruda.

The state government organises a similar walk every year on World Heritage Day.