Puri Heritage Walks explores key temples and legends in second tour

Bhubaneswar, Sept 8: The Puri Heritage Walks (PHW) group conducted its second heritage tour in the holy city today, with over 30 participants exploring key religious sites such as the Yajnya Nrusingha Temple, Indradyumna Sarovar, and Siddha Mahavir Temple, learning about their historical significance and legends.

The group gathered at Sri Gundicha Temple in the morning, where they paid respects to Mundia Maraa Patita Pavana and Mundia Maraa Mahavir, located near the temple walls. They then proceeded to Yajnya Nrusingha Temple, where heritage expert Sidharth Acharya shared insights on the significance of Nrusingha Upasana within Jagannath culture and detailed the temple's historical and architectural features.

Acharya also provided information on the heritage and myths related to Indradyumna Sarovar, Neelakantheswar Temple, Gopinath Temple, and Siddha Mahavir Temple. Following this, heritage expert Ashoka Nayak discussed the importance of Pancha Tirtha in Puri and the role of Indradyumna Sarovar. The group visited these sites and were informed about their iconography.

At Siddha Mahavir Temple, the participants had the opportunity to view ancient sculptures and receive blessings. The tour concluded with a visit to Dr. Krushna Chandra Mishra’s residence, where Mishra gave a lecture on Indian heritage and the sculptures of Sri Jagannath Temple. After his talk, Mishra was honored by PHW advisor Debi Prasanna Nanda, along with conveners Sanjay Kumar Baral, Biswaranjan Dehury, and Dr. Kumar Aurojyoti.

Participants included heritage enthusiasts from Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack, including Chunara servitor Dr. Sarat Kumar Mohanty and cuisine author Ritu Pattanaik. The event ended with the distribution of prasad at Siddha Mahavir Temple.