Odisha to Have 14-Day ‘Odia Pakhya’ Celebration
Bhubaneswar: With the aim to promote Odia identity, covering language, culture, and heritage, the Odisha government today announced to have a 14-day ‘Odia Pakhya’ celebration from April 1 (Odisha Day, or Odisha Dibasa) to April 14 (Odia New Year and Maha Vishuba Sankranti), informed Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj today.
While addressing a press conference, the Minister said that with the Chief Minister’s approval, a plan has been chalked out a plan for a full two-week event of ‘Odia Pakhya’ celebration with focus on promoting the Odia identity, covering language, culture, and heritage.
During these 14 days, different programs will be held at both the state and district levels, the Minister informed.
Here’s day-wise breakdown of the14-day celebrations:
April 1: Odisha Day (Odisha Dibasa)
- Celebrations will mark the formation of an independent linguistic Odisha province. This will be observed at the state, district, and sub-district levels in collaboration with the Information & Public Relations Department.
April 2: ‘Khadi Chhuan’ & ‘Pravesh Utsav’
- To encourage the registration of children in primary schools, the School & Mass Education Department, along with the Women and Child Development Department, will host this event.
April 3: ‘Ama Posaka Ama Parichaya’ (Our Clothes, Our Identity)
- This day will focus on promoting traditional Odia costumes and Odisha’s handloom and textile industries, organized by the Handlooms, Textiles, and Handicrafts Department.
April 4: Odia Name Plate Campaign – Awareness Walk
- The Labour and Employee’s State Insurance Department will promote the use of Odia nameplates in shops and markets across the state with an awareness walk.
April 5: Heritage Race
- Organized by the Sports & Youth Services Department, this event will celebrate Odisha’s heritage through a unique race.
April 6: Cleanliness Campaign at Temples and Heritage Sites
- A cleanliness drive will take place at various temples and heritage sites across the state. This initiative is led by the Odia Language Literature & Culture Department in collaboration with the Tourism Department, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, and Housing and Urban Development Department.
April 7: ‘Barnabodha Banton – Barnabodha Utsav’
- This day will honor the literary work ‘Barnabodha’ by Bhaktakabi Madhusudan Rao, which introduced the Odia language. The Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department will spearhead this celebration.
April 8: Blood Donation Campaign
- The Red Cross, Health and Family Welfare Department, and Higher Education Department will organize a blood donation drive.
April 9: ‘Let’s Buy a Book’ Campaign
- To promote Odia literature and encourage book reading, this day will be observed in collaboration with the Department of Odia Language, Literature & Culture and the Department of Higher Education.
April 10: Folk Art Day – Honoring Senior Artists
- This day will focus on promoting Odisha’s folk art. The celebration will include visits to Kalagram and will be organized by the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department.
April 11: Young Writers’ Conference
- This conference will bring together young literary talents and will be organized by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, Higher Education Department, and Sports and Youth Services Department.
April 12: Discussion on Odisha’s ‘Bara Putras’
- A discussion on the great sons of Odisha will take place, organized by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with the District Administration.
April 13: ‘Traditional Food Cultivation Campaign’
- A festival celebrating Odisha’s food traditions will be organized under the theme ‘Our Taste, Our Food.’ This event will be held by the Panchayati Raj & Urban Development Departments.
April 14: Odisha New Year (Odia Naba Barsha)
- The grand finale of the ‘Odia Pakhya’ celebrations will mark the Odia New Year with traditional festivities and cultural programs.
