The INTACH (Indian national Trust for Architecture and Cultural Heritage) Bhubaneswar Chapter held an awards function for school students of the city on Sunday at the Sudarshan Crafts Village with Jnanpith awardee eminent writer Dr Pratibha Ray as the chief guest.
Prizes were awarded to winners in events like a Heritage Quiz on the 64- Yogini Temple, in which some 100 students participated; a Temple Quest competition based on photographs of temple sculptures for Heritage Club members of the Government High School, Nayapalli; and a Heritage Painting competition for students of the BBC School for the Deaf and Dumb in which 35 students of the school painted on the spot at the Udayagiri caves.
Dr Pratibha Ray gave her address anchored on two excellent short stories narrated extempore. The essence of her message was that parents of growing children need to steer young minds towards creativity and intelligence. Drawing on her own life and image in society, she said writers and artists don’t spend all their time writing or doing art. They also fulfil their normal responsibilities in family and in society. It is necessary to foster basic values about one’s place in a society and culture where art and literature have flourished for thousands of years, she said.
She released the new-look edition of the INTACH’s publication Aitihya with Anil Dhir as editor.
INTACH Chapter Convenor H Balakrishnan said the focus of INTACH in Bhubaneswar this year is on youth, and Heritage Clubs would be formed in five schools of the city. He said, “Besides, we have plans to document the artifacts and relics of the Prachi valley, one of the oldest civilisations in the world. Culture tours for students and members, ethnic cuisine festival and a few other programmes are also on the anvil.”
INTACH State Convenor AB Tripathy, speaking on the subject “What is INTACH, why INTACHIJ”, informed about the various prestigious projects like conservation of Netaji Subhas’ birthplace and the Odisha Maritime Museum in Cuttack undertaken by the INTACH.
Chapter Co-Convenor PC Dhir said the essentials of our culture and tradition like traditional foods and costume should be preserved. After the meeting, students, parents and guests were taken on a conducted tour of the Crafts Village by Padma Shri Sudarshan Sahoo, founder of the Crafts Village.
Balakrishnan told the media that in January, essay and painting competitions would be held at the local, regional and national levels among school students from Classes VI to IX by the INTACH and attractive prize packages would be awarded to the winners.