OdishaLIVE Bureau
The third Museum Walk got a rousing response with 70 participants joining the trail to explore the crafts and handloom of the State at Kala Bhoomi near the Pokhariput-Khandagiri Road along the proposed heritage corridor.
Kidsformed a major part of the footfall and showed extraordinary zeal to ask questions and experiment with the crafts making process, especially at the workshop, where the pottery making session was going on. Kids also created clay items on the pottery wheel under the guidance of the craftsmen.
Karishma Swain, a Class VI student of DAV Public School, Pokhariput, described “We knew from our books that Odisha is bestowed with so many art, craft and handloom treasures, which are unique in the world. Coming to the museum for the first time, I realized that we should come and join the walk every week and learn more things. Interestingly for kids like us, the entry is free.”
Museum authorities, after seeing the interest at the pottery-making activities have decided to make it a feature or part of the walk and the wheel will be near the water body, where live music is performed during the event.
Min Chai Liu, a dentist from Rourkela and Subrata Bal, a banker fromRourkela, joined the Museum Walk and were overwhelmed with the quality of display and the response from the people to know the facts behind the crafts.
“We also went to the Ekamra Walks Old Town Circuit in the morning and enjoyed the tour mainly involving the ancient temples, old buildings, holy water bodies and medicinal plant garden named Ekamra Van along the Western bank of Bindusagar. However, the afternoon Museum Walk was also very special to us and we had a very fulfilling day.”
Two students from Emory UniversityGeorgia, USA, Renee Cerovski and Rebekah Williamsalsojonedin the team of walkers. “We found today’s walk very interesting like the first one, we joined just a week ago,’’ they said. They also visited the souvenir shop of the Crafts Museum.
Well-known architect AkshayBeuria also joined the walk with wife and praised the way the display has been done and the artefacts are placed inside the museum and also along the corridor and inside the museum premises. “I am happy that so many people are taking interest to visit the museum for the walk,” he added.
80TH EKAMRA WALKS
The Ekamra Walks Old Town Circuit attracted many visitors including three students from the capital city of Togo Lome, in Africa. All the three are studying Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) in India.
Godson Kalipe, who joined the Old Town heritage walks some months ago is studying CSE at city-based private university. His other friends Abdel Aziz and Rodolphe came visiting him and all three decided to join the Ekamra Walks.
“During my last visit to Ekamra Walks, I found that it is a nice platform to showcase the traditions, temple building style and technique and knowing its culture from a close quarter. I suggested my friends and they agreed immediately. They are also studying CSE” said Godson.
Seema Misra came from Bangalore to join the walk with her professor aunt, SusmitaPani, who taught English Literature at Ravenshaw University.
Seema, a self-taught artist and blogger said “I had been to the city on many occasions, but never joined the Ekamra Walks. It was very interesting, entertaining and educative.”
