THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
PURI,
JULY 16, 2026
The Indian National
Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on Thursday launched its new
centrally driven national programme, "Project Gaja-Lok – Elephant Lands
and their Cultural Symbolism in Asia," from the historic land of the Gajapati
Kings in Puri during the auspicious Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
The inaugural
exhibition was formally opened by eminent sculptor and Padma Vibhushan awardee
Sudarshan Sahoo near the Buddha Temple in Puri. The exhibition will remain open
to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily until July 25, 2026.
The event was
organised by the INTACH Puri District Chapter under the guidance of noted
environmentalist and Odisha State Convener Biswajit Mohanty. The nationwide
rollout of Project Gaja-Lok will commence
simultaneously across all INTACH chapters from July 17, 2026.
Speaking on the
occasion, speakers noted that INTACH has been working through its district
chapters with local resources for more than four decades. To ensure greater
coordination, technical guidance and uniform implementation, the Trust has now
introduced common national programmes. Project Gaja-Lok, coordinated by the
INTACH ICH Division, is a transnational culture-nature initiative focusing on
elephants, their habitats and their deep cultural symbolism across Asia.
Subas Chandra Rath,
Convener of the INTACH Puri Chapter, said the project will document the living
relationship between elephants, forests, temples, crafts and rituals in Odisha.
Sanjay Kumar Baral, Co-Convener of the INTACH Puri Chapter, added that the
programme will actively involve local communities, schools and heritage
volunteers in conservation and awareness initiatives.
Launching the project
in Puri during Rath Yatra was intended to underscore the profound spiritual and
cultural significance of elephants in the traditions of Lord Jagannath and
Odisha's rich heritage.
The exhibition
highlights the enduring cultural relationship between humans and elephants,
showcasing traditional knowledge systems, conservation challenges and artistic
representations from across Asia.
Among those present were heritage experts Debi Prasanna Nanda, Shyamasundar Mohapatra, Ashok Kumar Satapathy, Rabi Narayan Sahoo, Kashinath Nayak, Jyotsna Mohapatra, Siddharth Mohapatra and several other life members of INTACH. On the occasion, the Puri Chapter also felicitated Sunil Biswal for his outstanding contribution to the fields of history and heritage.
The INTACH Puri Chapter has appealed to citizens, students, scholars and heritage enthusiasts to visit the exhibition and become part of the movement to celebrate and conserve India's rich cultural and natural heritage.
