Vijayawada’s first heritage walk evokes good response

Families gathered at P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science on Sunday for a heritage walk and a car ride through caves and canals of Vijayawada city.

A crowd of men, women and children of all age groups, some of them equipped with cameras, gathered to be part of the first ever heritage walk and car ride organised by the Vijayawada chapter of Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on Sunday. INTACH national Chairman Ashok Singh Thakur and NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha flagged off the heritage car rally.

The participants, especially the younger lot, listened in attention as INTACH volunteers explained to them about the significance of each site, bringing each monument to life by weaving together stories of faith, architecture, and culture.

Children watched in awe the Mogulrajpuram caves, carved out of solid rock nearly 1,500 years ago, when they were informed that they were among Vijayawada’s oldest surviving relics of early Hindu rock-cut architecture. The intricate carvings of deities like Lord Vinayaka and Ardhanareeswara depicted stories of devotion and artistry from the 5th century.

Atop the historic Gandhi Hill which overlooks the city, a vantage point crowned with the country’s first stupa dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi welcomed the visitors. The inscriptions on the stupa reminded of Gandhiji’s ideals of peace and unity and the hill’s panoramic view of Vijayawada.

The event was a delightful mix of short walks and brief car rides to the heritage sites farther away, but the excitement never waned.

The event concluded at the Vijayawada Club.

During a meeting held later, S.V.S. Lakshmi Narayana was appointed as the Andhra Pradesh State convener of INTACH, while Sai Papineni was made convener of the Vijayawada chapter and Prasuna Balantrapu co-convenor, Vijayawada.