Kochi to portray historical monuments and vivid cultural facets in India Heritage Walk Festival

Kochi, February 9: Kochi set to welcome people in India Heritage Walk Festival (IHWF) to experience and explore the heritage of metropolitan cities and towns. IHWF 2018, covering 20 cities and towns around the country, features walks to historical monuments and shrines, well-known landscapes, places known for art and culture, cuisine and flourishing trade. There is an online film festival of documentaries based on cultural themes and lecture series curated as ‘baithaks’ and Instameets as part of nearly 70 events scheduled throughout the month. 

Of the two walks and a baithak (discussion) organised in the city as part of the festival, the first walk on February 10 is a look back at Tripunithura’s heyday as the seat of power of the Cochin royal family. Balagopal, an entrepreneur whose father belongs to the royal family, will guide participants on a walk along some of the most important sites, including Statue Square, Clock Tower (Manimalika), Poornathrayeesa temple, Kalikotta Palace, Iron Bridge and the elephant stables.

‘Stories of the Throne - Exploring Tripunithura’, as the walk is called, will recall the royal family’s contributions to Kochi’s multiculturalism, public infrastructure, the national movement and conservation of traditional art forms.

On February 17, Artist Aditi Nayar will lead a walk around the Museum of Kerala History in Edappally, one of the city’s oldest museums housing an extraordinarily rich art collection, including the works of modern masters such as Jamini Roy, Ramkinkar Baij, M F Husain, Ram Kumar, K G Subramanyan and Bhupen Khakhar.

 

The walk is being held in partnership with the Madhavan Nayar Foundation in Kochi. The month-long, multi-city IHWF 2018 is organised jointly by Sahapedia, the online encyclopedia of Indian arts and culture, and YES Culture, the cultural division of YES Global Institute, a think tank of YES Bank, to encourage citizens to explore the tangible and intangible heritage of their cities and towns.Besides the walks, the IHWF will organise a baithak on February 23 to discuss the history of Jews in Kochi.

Elias (Babu) Josephai, the current custodian of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue in Mather Bazaar and one of the last few Jews left in Kerala, will discuss the history and traditions of the Jewish community through his own personal narratives.

Vaibhav Chauhan, Festival Director (IHWF), Sahapedia, says, “The India Heritage Walk Festival 2018 is a celebration of all that Sahapedia stands for. In an attempt to create authentic, credible and exhaustive content on our rich heritage and culture, we are developing a network of cultural practitioners across the country.