A six-month-old startup, Detour Odisha is taking tourism in the State beyond destinations. Founded by Bhubaneswar-based Kartik Aruda and Sophia Simon, the venture offers curated theme tours to different parts of Odisha.
Last week, the startup organised a heritage walk in the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar where 23 participants discovered the hidden treasures of the Ekamra Kshetra, from the Mukteswar temple to Ekamravan located near Lingaraj Temple.
They went through Swarna Jaleswar temple, Koti Tirtheswara temple, Ananta Basudev temple, Parashurameshvara temple and Kedar Gouri and experienced the rich culture, architecture, traditions and other rituals of the temples in Old Town.
The heritage walk included a trip to the kitchen of Ananta Vasudeva temple, the second temple in Odisha after Jagannath temple in Puri where 'Abhada' is cooked for the presiding deity.
"Instead of promoting travel itineraries where travellers hop from one city to another, we want to offer experiences native to each city. The heritage walk in Old Town was one such trip," says Kartik, who quit his corporate job in Bengaluru to set up Detour Odisha along with his wife Sophia.
Be it a nature walk with yoga in Bhubaneswar, bicycle trip to Dhauli Peace Pagoda, learning to cook from traditional cooks in Puri and tribals in Southern Odisha, an organic art workshop or experiencing the mystical Joranda in Dhenkanal and royal heritage, the venture offers interesting holidaying experiences for travellers. "Such experiential travel ensures that visitors capture the essence of any place they travel to and not just the landmarks. Through Detour Odisha, we want to provide an alternative way to tour and connect with people and places in a responsible, sustainable manner," says Sophia, who has been working in the State's travel sector for the last 10 years.
The team also includes photographer brothers duo, Sabyasachi Jana and Amit Kumar Jana. "There are heritage walk and photography communities in Kolkata, Gujarat, Mumbai and Assam. These communities organise such walking tours on a regular basis. We are also trying to make heritage walks a common affair in Odisha with special focus on college students," added Kartik.
Besides the heritage walk, the company has so far conducted 'detour' experiences for international travellers. "Our vision is to catapult Odisha into one of the most sought after travel destination in the world...help travellers experience Odisha in a unique manner with its authentic experiences," says Sophia.
In the future, the team wants to explore wildlife of Odisha.
