Heritage walk explores essence of ‘Mutt’ culture at abode of Lord Jagannath
The heritage walk started from the Kanchi Kamakoti Ashram and culminated at Sankarananda
The sixth edition of Puri Heritage Walk (PHW) explored the maritime marvel of the lighthouse town and a historic gurdwara at the pilgrim town, the abode of Lord Jagannath. The participants saw cannons and anchors preserved near the lighthouse and relished panoramic views of the sea and its surroundings.
They later visited the Shri Aarti Sahib Gurdwara, where they paid homage to the sacred Guru Granth Sahib and gathered information about Bhai Himmat Singh of Puri, one of Guru Gobind Singh’s five beloved disciples.
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Afterward, the group reconvened at the premises of Sata Lahari Mutt. Following an evening prayer, they interacted with Brahmachari Bamadeva Nanda, who is based at the mutt. Concerns were raised regarding the neglected state of the sacred site where Atibadi Jagannath Das, the author of the Odia Bhagavata, had spent his last life. Participants expressed worry over the lack of initiatives by the Odia community to preserve this historically significant place.
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The mutt’s seaside entrance often remains closed, and the vacant premises are being misused as toilets by visitors and locals. Moreover, it was also learnt that land mafias are reportedly eyeing the area, creating insecurity for the mutt residents.
The participants called for intervention by the district administration and the state government to address these issues and facilitate the necessary development of the site. Following their visit to Sat Lahari Mutt, the walkers participated in the Samudra Aarti at the Swargadwar beach front. The heritage walk concluded after this ceremony.
Prominent participants in the walk included heritage researcher Shri Debi Prasanna Nanda, Dr. Kumar Aurojyoti, Pandit Sidhartha Acharya, Subas Chandra Mahapatra, Ashoka Nayak, Debasis Mishra, Priyankar Maharana, Biswamohan Sahu, and Bishwajyoti Tripathi, among others.
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