Bhubaneswar: The development authority will start six new heritage walks and two bicycle tours in the city's heritage circuits to tap into its tourism potential.
Two of the heritage walks will cover Old Town landmarks such as the Lingaraj and Rajarani Heritage Circuit, while the Jain Heritage Circuit near Udayagiri-Khandagiri will be part of the third one. The fourth walk will cover the Buddhist Heritage Circuit near Dhauli Peace Pagoda.
Two other walks will focus on the city's natural heritage and include curated walks through the Chandaka and Botanical Garden trails. There will also be a Museum Walk at Odisha Crafts Museum. Officials are deliberating on introducing another walk or tour at a later phase.
One proposed bicycle tour will cover the Buddhist Circuit as well as the Raja Rani Temple and 64 Yogini Temple, while the other will encomapss the remnants of Sishupalgarh.
The development authority will hire an agency to conceptualise and implement the walks and tours.
An official said the heritage tours were meant to target the stories and anecdotes around heritage monuments, including lesser-known ones, markets and communities and other elements such as cuisine, craft, local culture, dance, and related things.
"All heritage walks and bicycle tours have been proposed to be managed by a single organisation and run independently. Special tours and events will be organised for guests, students," said development authority vice-chairman Krishan Kumar.
The heritage walks aim to create awareness among citizens and visitors about key historic sites and the centuries-old culture and traditions of Bhubaneswar, an official said, adding it would help them relate to the historic parts of the city in a personal and intimate manner.
"The initiative envisages drawing tourists into areas of rich cultural and architectural heritage that are otherwise not part of must-visit lists," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
The development authority also plans to create a pool of heritage resource persons to conduct similar walks on their own.
