In a move aimed to showcase the rich culture and diversity of art in the state, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Odisha has decided to set up a ‘Cultural Corridor’ in the heart of the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The corridor will be set up on the stretch of the Janpath road and it will be effective in helping the local talented artisans to showcase and sell their products to the consumers on their own. The initiative will be taken up under the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited’s ‘Smart Janpath’ project, that is aimed at better organised parking, pedestrian and vehicular movement and creating recreational spaces for citizens, reports said.
The ‘Cultural Corridor’ will be built on the stretch from Rama Devi Women’s University to Rupali Square on the Janpath road. The officials said that corridor aims at providing a platform to local and indigenous products and as such there will be kiosks of items such as Koraput coffee, Kandhamal turmeric, and applique Pipili handicraft.
The road is expected to get at least 30 such stalls, each showcasing different products from the districts and the officials will also ensure that each kiosk is maintained by a person from the districts so that they can man at the stalls and also provide better information to the consumers.
In a one-of-its-kind initiative, BMC to set up ‘Cultural Corridor’ along Janpath in #Bhubaneswar to promote Odisha's art & culture. Special kiosks will be put up to showcase famous indigenous products from districts or places.@CMO_Odisha @odisha_tourism https://t.co/6O8jXrvzSm— BMC (@bmcbbsr) March 10, 2021
With this, the government is planning to promote the city of Bhubaneswar for tourists and also give locals a sense of their own culture. The idea is to also help better the livelihood of the artisans from the districts by giving them a platform to showcase their talent and help them reach a far larger base of consumers.
BMC South East Zone deputy commissioner Anshuman Rath reportedly said that the place will also have civic amenities such as e-toilet, police desks for security and crowd control. The officials will also soon undertake encroachment removal. The vending zone in front of RD Women’s University will be reportedly removed to make way for a foot overbridge for pedestrians.