PHW trails Ayurvedic Heritage of holy city Puri

Puri: The 13th Puri Heritage Walk (PHW) was successfully held last afternoon, (second Sunday of every month), with participation of over 40 heritage enthusiasts from across the State as they explored the Ayurvedic heritage in Puri and monasteries on the Clarke Road.

The walk began with an engaging discussion on the role of ancient Ayurveda in healthcare, where members reflected on its diverse systems of treatment—often hailed as life-restoring like Sanjīvanī.

The visit to the historic Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Odisha’s first Ayurveda college established in 1949, formed the centre of attraction.

Participants closely observed traditional methods of treatment still practised there and visited departments such as “Dravyaguṇa”, “Rasashāstra”, “Shalya-Shalakya”, along with the herbal garden. Several patients with chronic ailments are still being cured through Ayurveda at this institution.

On this occasion, eminent faculty members—Dr. Sonalika Jena, Dr. Rajib Kishore Jena, Dr. Padmalochan Nayak, and Dr. Swarnakanta Jena—were felicitated by the Heritage Walk organizers. Participants also discussed the invaluable contributions of ancient Indian physicians Maharshi Suśruta and Charaka.

MONASTERIES ON CLARKE ROAD

Later, the heritage enthusiasts visited Siddha Brahmachari Mutt at Clarke Road, where they had darśan of “Raseshwar Mahaprabhu” and learned from priests about the history of the monastery founded in 1428. The walkers also explored the Gandharva Mutt premises and discussed the spiritual practices and manuscripts of “Mahapurusha Achyutananda”.

Eminent historian Surendra Mishra and heritage researcher and advisor of the walk, Debi Prasanna Nanda, guided participants on the contributions of the Panchasakha saints and their works. Mishra also highlighted that the famed “Gochhanda Vata” in Gandharva Mutt is among the seven heritage banyan trees of Srikshetra.

The divinity of Achyutananda’s sacred seat of practice, still palpable today, was deeply felt by the members. Speakers noted that many of his thematic manuscripts remain untraced and that the mystery of the “Śūnya Bāṃphi” at the mutt remains unrevealed. The walk concluded with darśan of “Maa Jhadeshwari”.

The 13th PHW was coordinated by convenors Biswaranjan Dehury and Dr. Kumar Aurojyoti, with co-convenor Ashoka Manjari Nayak. Prominent members present included Rajashree Sahoo, Priyankar Maharana, Jyotsna Mohapatra, Debasis Mishra, Sarmistha Mohanty, Srikant Mishra, Biswamohan Sahoo, Siddhartha Mohapatra, along with Anurag Behera and Biswajit Das, founders of the popular Odia blogging platform Srujanee.

Students from Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Burla University, and local SCS College also participated, contributing to the success of the venture.