On the hot seat for cultural inheritance

Bhubaneswar : As the world moves to an increasingly concrete and cosmopolitan state, it is important to hold on to our roots when on the rise. To expose young minds to the heritage that surrounds them, The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH),Odisha State Chapter,  conducted the State Level Round  of the  INTACH Heritage Quiz-2024 at the  MBS Public School, Bhubaneswar. 

Shri A.B.Tripathty IPS (Retd.), the State Convener was the chief guest and gave a message to all the students, teachers and parents who had accompanied the participants from different parts of the State. Shri Binod Chandra Padhi, former Engineer-in-Chief was the guest of honour and spoke at length on the culture and heritage of the State. The intellectually charged competition was conducted by Bhubaneswar Chapter Convener Anil Dhir with proficiency that kept the audience enthralled. 

The students displayed an impressive depth of knowledge with a keen understanding of India’s and Odisha’s rich heritage. More than 1500 students from 25 schools spread all over the State had participated in the district rounds. A total of five teams from different schools of Baripada, Balangir, Sambalpur, Balasore and Bhubaneswar participated in the State Level Round. 

The first prize winning team of Janmejaya Jena and Omkar Patra from MBS Public School, Bhubaneswar displayed an outstanding performance which reflected not only their dedication to learning but also their ability to navigate complex information with finesse. All the participants were given books  and study materials. 

This annual quiz has been hosted by the Trust for about a decade. Apart from the quiz, INTACH also piques interest in children through heritage clubs that function with guidance from the Trust. The clubs host speakers as well as programmes like essay, painting or sketching competitions with unique themes. 

According to A.B.Tripathy, “the wealth of the treasure that we have in India, the heritage that we have inherited from our ancestors, we act as custodians to pass it on to the future generation. The quiz  is an exposure for the children, for them to be aware of what they are inheriting and what they should, as custodians, look after, take care of and pass on to their future generation”. The winning team will gear up to participate in the National Level to be held in New Delhi in December this year.