Bhubaneswar all decked up for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; Delegates receive grand welcome

Indian diaspora from across several parts of the globe have started arriving in Bhubaneswar to attend the mega Pravasi Bharatiya Divas scheduled to begin tomorrow.  The delegates are getting a glimpse of the vibrant culture of Odisha as elaborate arrangements are in place to welcome them at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.

On-site visuals showed the guests being greeted with lotus flowers on their arrival while a band of artists performed Odia folk music and dances outside the terminal gates.

“I cannot express how happy I feel to be here. It feels like a big family reunion,” said a participant from France.

Outside the airport, the city of Bhubaneswar has been decked up with intense attention to detail. Walls are adorned with traditional Odia paintings while the entire city is set to sparkle with decorative lights.

Along these lines, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi inaugurated nine digitized galleries about Odia art and culture in the State Museum today. Incidentally, the museum’s timings have also been extended and it will be accessible for visitors from 9 AM to 9 PM until 12th January.

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The preparations mark Odisha’s intense efforts as it gears up to host its first-ever Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.  As per sources, over 4,000 delegates from 70 countries are expected to participate in the 2025 edition of the mega-event, which will be run from January 8 to January 10.

Meanwhile, preparations are in their final stages at Bhubaneswar's Janata Maidan, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Indian diaspora and inaugurate a theme pavilion on the 9th of January. Additionally, President Droupadi Murmu is also expected to attend the mega event.

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To ensure an incident-free experience, Odisha Police has tightened security measures with the deployment of dedicated teams of the Special Forces taking charge of key junctions.