INTACH’s ‘Project Gaja-Lok’ to document Odisha’s elephant traditions

The Puri chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on Thursday launched Project Gaja-Lok – Elephant Lands and their Cultural Symbolism in Asia, a centrally driven national initiative aimed at documenting and conserving the cultural and ecological legacy of elephants across Asia.

The project was inaugurated in Puri during Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra, underscoring the significance of elephants in Odisha’s religious and cultural traditions.

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The inaugural exhibition was opened by Padma Vibhushan sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo near the Buddha Temple in Puri. Open to the public from 9 am to 9 pm until July 25, the exhibition highlights the enduring relationship between humans and elephants through traditional knowledge, artistic representations, conservation challenges and cultural practices across Asia.

Organised by the INTACH Puri District Chapter under the guidance of Odisha State Convener and environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty, the event marks the beginning of a nationwide rollout of the project by INTACH chapters from July 17.

INTACH officials said the Trust, which has worked through local chapters for over four decades, has introduced common national programmes to ensure greater coordination, technical support and uniform implementation.

The project, coordinated by INTACH’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Division, seeks to document the links between elephants, forests, temples, crafts and rituals while promoting conservation awareness.

Puri Chapter Convener Subas Chandra Rath said the initiative would focus on Odisha’s rich elephant heritage and its association with local traditions. Co-Convener Sanjay Kumar Baral said schools, local communities and heritage volunteers would be actively involved in documentation and awareness campaigns.

Several heritage experts attended the launch, during which historian Sunil Biswal was felicitated for his contribution to history and heritage conservation.