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5th edition of Pune heritage walk on December 18
The ‘heritage walk’ on December 18 will be flagged off from near the foothills of the Bhaja caves at 8.30 am
As part of its efforts to create awareness about Maharashtra’s forts, caves and heritage sites, SAMPARC, a non-profit working for the care and protection of 135 orphaned children (girls), is organising the 5th edition of its ‘heritage walk’ on December 18 this year. The 3.6 km walk includes a visit to four monuments, namely the Vispaur and Lohagad forts and the Bhaje and Bedse caves. These heritage monuments are within a 5 km radius from the SAMPARC orphanage. In 2016, the SAMPARC Balgram centre kick-started the ‘heritage walk’ initiative at Bhaje village.
The ‘heritage walk’ on December 18 will be flagged off from near the foothills of the Bhaja caves at 8.30 am. It will pass through a carnival of 32 cultural events including understanding the history of the heritage monuments and sampling Maharashtrian food at five different spots. Around 450 locals from the Bhaje and Lohagad gram panchayats and surrounding villages, along with SAMPARC employees and volunteers, are prepping to welcome more than 8,000 people including corporates and tourists.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Anuj Singh, CEO, SAMPARC Balgram, said that the objective behind the ‘heritage walk’ is to create awareness about Maharashtra’s heritage sites and a sense of belonging amongst locals and tourists, especially people from Pune and Mumbai who visit Lonavala in large numbers throughout the year. Singh said that the initiative has given a boost to tourism in the area to such an extent that today, nearly every house is ready to welcome tourists. He said that tourist footfalls have increased nearly threefold in the last five to six years.
Amitkumar Banerjee, founder, SAMPARC, said that the ultimate objective is to have these monuments listed as UNESCO heritage sites so that they get global visibility and better care. According to Banerjee, the SAMPARC ‘heritage walk’ is not only to draw attention to four or five monuments but to the 800 big and small caves and 276 forts in Maharashtra. The walk is part of the ‘Movement for Conservation and Protection of Heritage Monuments’. The walk sees participation from a large number of corporates and individuals and the funds collected are used to run SAMPARC Balgram orphanages for children in four states including six centres in Maharashtra.
Those interested can join the SAMPARC heritage walk through the website at https://SAMPARCheritagewalk.com or the YouTube link at https://youtu.be/6qGLLwi4_rk.
