Cuttack: In a bid to make the heritage enthusiasts of the Twin Cities conversant with the rich traditions of ‘Chandi Medhas’ of the Millennium City, members of Cuttack Heritage Walks (CHW) on Thursday organised a heritage trail to visualize the living tradition of the wonderful filigree work. The walk started from Madhusudan Sangrahalaya near Sailabala Women’s College here.
While around 40 enthusiasts joined the 65th edition of heritage walks, eminent writer and former bureaucrat Raja Parija, who had written several books on the Millennium City, spoke on the genesis of the tradition and socio-economic dynamics of the people associated with the Chandi Medhas of Cuttack (including the contributions of the Muslim artisans who make various other Medhas other than filigree).
Author, heritage enthusiast, academician and convener of CHW Dipak Samantarai led the show and the participants could know how the Puja started at Binod Bihari in the early Fifties and during late fifties Choudhury Bazaar had the first “Chandi Medha” and then after the year 2000 the various local pandals started taking up the decoration with their stride.
Raja Parija, through his lucid narrative could brief the participants how the “Chandi Medhas” are made with three basic elements and how much money goes into their making, their periodic cleaning and how the unique “bhaichara” or brotherhood among the Hindus and Muslims is also reflected in the tradition of the “Medha” making silver and zari, their maintenance and the attraction the pandals have with the glittering designs on display along with the deities on the pandals.
Among the prominent pandals, the heritage enthusiasts visited Kanika Chhak (Ramgarh pandal), Mahadev Puja Committee Tulasipur for its unique decorative design which is unique and different than filigree, new “Chandi Medha” of Tulasipur Durga Puja Committee, Deulasahi Puja Mandap, Kafla Bazaar, Chandini Chowk and Choudhury Bazaar.
Apart from the pandal hoping to know the rich traditions of the “Chandi Medhas” the heritage enthusiasts also savoured the traditional Odia sweets from near age-old sweet stalls near Chandini Chowk and also “dahibara aloodam” from their favourite counters as the Millennium City is dotted with numerous of such eateries, which do a brisk business during the Durga Puja holidays.