A group of heritage and adventure enthusiasts made the weekend memorable by visiting several heritage sites and monuments in
Prachi valley
. They were awestruck by the old temples lying scattered along the Prachi river, which has now turned into a narrow stream.
Around 11 local explorers set out on a one-day trip to explore the lesser known sites in and around Konark Temple. Prachi valley like the
Mahanadi
river valley was another centre where the Odia community grew and prospered. The erstwhile rulers had constructed several temples along the river, some which have withstood the test of time, while others have not.
The group first visited the 12th century Budhanatha Temple at Balipatna on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and then moved to Gangeswar Temple at Bayalishbati near Gop. This temple is believed to have been used as the model for the Sun Temple in Konark. The group next visited the 13th century Tribeniswara temple in Madhipur that was built by the Ganga kings. They then moved to
Chandrabhaga beach
, where the Prachi river meets the sea.
Next, they visited Kuruma near Jamadharma village. This is a Budhhist monastery built by Somavanshis in the 9th-10th century. Their last stoppage of the day was the Amareswar Temple complex on the Nimapara-Kakatpur route that was built during the Ganga dynasty in the 12th century.
“The most important feature of this trip was that all these temples were constructed near the Konark temple 800-900 years ago in the Prachi valley. Though Konark temple is famous, other such heritage sites are not frequented by tourists,” said Taranisen Pattnaik, an organiser of the trail.
“I never knew that before Konarka temple was built, a model of it had already been constructed. It was really fascinating to know that and more,” said BM Das, a participant.
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