Bhubaneswar dazzles with cultural extravaganza for Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

BHUBANESWAR : The capital city of Bhubaneswar stands bejeweled. Glowing in the spirit of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), being hosted in Odisha for the first time, every corner of the city has erupted into a celebration of culture, art, cuisine and more.

Thousands of dignitaries and global Indians have started arriving in Bhubaneswar, which is the venue for the 18th edition of the three-day convention that begins on Wednesday. And both the state government and city administration are leaving no stone unturned to offer them a memorable experience of Odisha’s culture and heritage.

While walls on the streets have been given a makeover with traditional paintings, several prominent landmarks of the city are decorated with colourful applique works from Pipili and glittering lights.

As far as events are concerned, there is something for each of the NRIs who have landed in the city for the convention, be it specially curated visits to museums, dance and music festivals, art camps, food festival and even night flea markets. A majority of these events that coincide with PBD were opened by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday.

Six new galleries, an orientation hall and an exhibition on Ramayana engraved on palm leaves were opened by the CM at the State Museum on the day. The galleries, among other things, showcase the state’s royal possessions, textiles, tribal lifestyle, puppets and masks. Culture minister Suryabanshi Suraj said that instead of 5.30 pm, the museum will remain open till 9 pm every day till January 12 in wake of the PBD. Prior to that, the CM inaugurated the annual flower show at Ekamra Vana which promises to be bigger and brighter than all its previous editions.

Showcasing the rich classical dance and music of the state, three festivals – Rajarani music festival, Mukteswar Odissi dance festival and International Odissi dance festival – began in the city on the day. The Mukteswar festival was opened in presence of minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar.

While all the festivals have an interesting line up of artistes for the next five days, the highlight of International Odissi festival are renowned Odissi dancers and gurus including Kumkum Mohanty, Ileana Citaristi, Durga Charan Ranbir, Jhelum Paranjape and Soren Lewen.

Similarly at the Exhibition Ground, the tribal heritage of Odisha is on the show with the main attractions being tribal villages, tribal haats, art and craft, tribal food, live demonstrations and Bhagwan Birsa Munda pavilion.

Twenty tribal communities have set up their dummy huts at the venue and at the tribal haat, products prepared and sourced by communities are being sold. Besides, there are 16 stalls where locals and NRIs can witness the jewellery, handloom, utility items and crafts that are central to the tribal communities.

PBD commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915. This year’s theme is ‘Diaspora’s contribution to a Viksit Bharat’.