Government Plans to Hold Odia Pakhya From Utkal Diwas

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government is gearing up for an expanded and more inclusive observance of Odia Pakhya this year, a fortnight-long celebration dedicated to promoting Odia language, literature, culture, and heritage. A key preparatory meeting was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister for Odia Language, Literature and Culture. The session reviewed strategies to scale up the celebrations, building on the successful inaugural observance last year.
The government plans to hold Odia Pakhya from April 1 (Utkal Diwas) to April 14 (Odia New Year), with a strong emphasis on grassroots-level programmes to ensure widespread public participation.
Various state departments will collaborate to organise diverse activities, including:
Observance of Odisha Day
Khadi Chhuan Day
Traditional Attire Day
Folk Art Day
Traditional Food Day
Cleanliness Day
Blood donation drives
Odia nameplate campaigns
Heritage mass runs
Youth writers’ conferences
Discussion sessions on eminent Odia personalities
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Dr. Bijaya Ketan Upadhyaya, Secretary, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Deba Prasad Dash, Special Secretary of the department; Dr Chandra Shekhar Hota, Secretary, Odisha Sahitya Akademi; and other key functionaries.