New Delhi:
Sundar Odisha, a New Delhi based Odia organization celebrated the “Odia New Year” with great pomp and show. Due to the rising number of Covid cases, Sundar Odisha decided to put a lid on its offline event and conducted it online through the theme, “Aame Odia” with participants across the globe.
Celebrating the richness of Odia culture, the day was marked with rediscovering the ancient tradition and heritage of the state. Odisha is a sprightly state of India with stunning architectures, history, dialects, vibrant art music and dance forms. Whoever has visited Odisha must have realised the power of its serene atmosphere which is a sigh of relief to the one seeking peace of mind. This event had thus aimed to provide people with a virtual tour of the state’s cuisine, art, culture and tradition.
The pandemic has forced people to stay indoors, thus the event gave participants an opportunity to not only showcase their talent but also show the world, the famous things of Odisha. Several participants showcased their talent through dancing, singing, preparing dishes, playing musical instruments, drama and much more. The organisers also made sure that they choose winners with the best performance and awarded them handsome goodies.”
Speaking about the event, Sangram Dhar, Founder of Sundar Odisha said, “Being far away from my state, I have realised how much I miss my roots. These celebrations in a way bring me closer to my roots and people. Also, I have realised, Odisha still hasn’t received the recognition it deserves! Be it the temples of the capital city Bhubaneswar, the Buddhist Shanti Stupa of Dhaulagiri Hills or exotic birds that can be spotted at Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon Chilika Lake, Odisha has everything that can make the state one of the top tourist destinations. Such events are my humble attempts to only celebrate but also create the awareness for my state.”
Odia New Year is popularly recognised as Bisubha Sankranti in Odisha. Thus, Odia people participated with famous cuisines such as Pitha, Chakuli and of course the famous traditional beverage which is prepared from bel, curd, fruits, curd and sugar or jaggery.
This is for the first time any Odia organisation has taken this effort to bring together the people of Odisha under one roof and celebrate the day magnificently.
One of the participants, Jyotsna Rani Panda said, “My whole family celebrates the festival with great fun! We celebrated the day at our house by making different Odia cuisines and the best part we even got awarded for our food preparation. I am happy foundations like Sundar Odisha are taking the efforts to spread the word about this day.”
Amid, Covid 19 celebrations have taken a bake seat! Such occasions undoubtedly brings happiness in the otherwise dark and gloomy world.
