Gandhinagar Odiya Samaj to celebrate Utkal Divas

Gandhinagar, 31 March 2014

The Gandhinagar Odiya Samaj(GOS), a group of Odiya families staying in Gandhinagar, will be organizing a variety of cultural programmes and activities that will showcase the glimpses of the Odisha and the Gujarat, the east and west states of the country on the Tuesday, 1st April 2014 to mark the celebration of the Utkal Divas, the 79th foundation day of the Odisha. The programme has been organized at the Ranga Manch, Sector 22, Gandhinagar from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

The Utkal Divas celebration is a sacred and significant day for the people of Odisha. The relentless struggle of the visionary leaders of Odisha for the formation of a separate province on the basis of language was realized on 1st April 1936 and Odisha was emerged as the first language based State in the country.

Shri Umang Hutheesing, Founder President, Hutheesing Heritage Foundation & Convener, Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage: Ahmedabad Chapter will be the Chief Guest and to inaugurate the programme on 1st April 2014 at 7.00 pm. Dr. S. K. Nanda, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department of Government of Gujarat will preside over the function. Shri H. K. Dash, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat will be the Chief Speaker of the occasion.

According to Shri S. K. Mishra, President of GOS expressed that “the state is homes to many cultures and showcases the unity in diversity in a magnificent manner. The Utkal Divas celebration in the state will inspire thoughts for establishing peace, prosperity and progress in the society. It is a tradition that needs to be nurtured, enlivened and encouraged”.

Odisha has been endowed with a rich cultural natural and heritage that includes a tradition of painting, dance, architecture and sculpture. Odisha was the dream of great leaders and it is upon the youth to carry their dreams forward. It is the time to work together and more enthusiastically in the State’s vast potential to make it a front ranking State of our country.

About 1000 Odiya and Gujarati families and well-wishers in and around Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Naroda, Surat, Mehsana will participate in this programme. GOS is providing a social networking platform for community development activities in Gandhinagar. For a society to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other. So the need of such platform is very much significant to share our thoughts and ideas, sorrows and happiness, problems and opportunities. Individual development is a function of human awareness, aspirations, attitudes and values. Like all human creative processes, it is a process of self-conception.

The Utkal Divas programme includes variety of cultural presentation on a focal theme “Youth Power for Future” to be presented by the school and college students along with special performance on Odishi and Gujarati culture. The Government of Odisha has deputed a Special Cultural group, Nava Prativa Sangeet Shikshya Kendra, Puri for the presentation of the Odishi dance and other inspired folk dances of the State. The programme will be followed by spice of Odisha food flavour.