Puri: The 15th edition of the Puri Heritage Walk (PHW) witnessed 25 heritage enthusiasts from all over Odisha deeply exploring the history, architecture, and cultural significance of several lesser-known heritage sites located in Puri Sadar Block The walk not only highlighted Odisha’s rich temple building tradition but also brought attention to centuries-old shrines lying in the shadow of the iconic Shree Jagannath Temple.
The walk commenced early on the second Sunday morning from Atharanala. Participants first passed through Jagannath Ballabh village before reaching Mali Balia village, where they offered prayers at the ancient Neelakantheswar Mahadev Temple. Dating back to the Ganga dynasty era, this rare shrine houses both Shiva and Shakti worshipped together in a single sanctum sanctorum, which is a unique architectural and spiritual feature. Local legend states that a king of that period received divine instruction in a dream to bring Goddess Mangala from Puri and install her here.
Remarkably, all rituals at this temple follow the exact rituals of the Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri.
The group then proceeded to Budha Nrusingha Temple in Jagannathpur village of Chalishbatia Panchayat, where a five feet tall ancient idol of Lord Nrusingha stands majestically. Next stop was the 15th-century Shaiva peetha Rudreswar Mahadev Temple at Bangurba village under Balipada Panchayat. The exquisite carvings on the mukhashala (entrance hall) and garbhagriha (sanctum), along with centuries-old pillars still standing tall, left participants spellbound.
A short distance away, the walkers reached the serene premises of Maa Khurukhuri Temple. After offering chuda ghasa bhoga to the goddess, they continued along the Bhargavi river embankment to Radha Madhab Temple at Dhol village near Biranchidaspur. In the cool, tranquil courtyard, founder Shri Ravi Das shared fascinating details on how the Patitapabana idol here was miraculously found floating near the river bank during the 1999 super cyclone, following which priests later constructed the present temple.
The grand attraction of the day was the magnificent Bateswar Temple at Gadmrugashira village on the southern bank of the Bhargavi embankment. Built during the Somavamsi reign in the 10th century, this pancha-ratha (five chariots) style Shiva temple follows ancient Utkaliya shilpa shastra and bears striking resemblance to Lingaraj Temple (Bhubaneswar), Markandeswar, and Yameswar temples of Puri.
Architectural highlights include:
• Torana Lakshmi and Ganesha at the entrance
• Mahakal and Veerabhadra as dwarapalas (gatekeepers) flanked by Ganga and Yamuna
• Inverted lotus canopy with naga-bandhani (the spiral arrangement of Naaga) on the jagamohana roof depicting intricate Shaiva ascetic life
• Royal couple offering flowers carved on garbhagriha walls
• Rare visible linga (unlike submerged ones in most ancient temples) with a three-faced Shiva idol behind it representing Aghora, Sadashiva, and Vamadeva
• Exquisite shalabhanjika, darpan sundari, alasa kanya, and naga-nagi figures on outer walls
• Monkey-faced Nandi and Mahakal standing atop a corpse, depicts the masterpieces of sculptural art
• Subsidiary deities Ganesha, Kartikeya, and Devi Uma, and an 11th-century six-feet-tall Astika Jaratkaru idol
The walk was conducted under the guidance of heritage researcher Devi Prasanna Nanda, with coordination by Dr Kumar Arojyoti, co-coordinators Pandit Siddharth Acharya and Ashoka Manjari Nayak.
Through this edition, the Puri Heritage Walk continues its mission to document and popularise the region’s hidden architectural treasures, fostering greater community pride and boosting heritage tourism beyond the main Jagannath Temple circuit. Organisers expressed hope that these unexplored gems will soon find their rightful place on Odisha’s tourism map.