Culture, tradition come alive as Odias celebrate Utkal Dibas in Oman

Muscat: In an effort to keep the culture and tradition of Odisha alive, members of the Odia Wing of the Indian Social Club Muscat celebrated Utkal Dibas recently in Oman.

  Expressing the spirit of patriotism and fellow-feeling , over 500 Odia members residing in different parts of Oman gathered at the Indian Embassy and wished wellbeing and prosperity to one another and strengthened their bond of friendship.

Addressing the gathering, His Excellency Indramani Pandey, Ambassador of India to Sultanate of Oman, appreciated the efforts of Odia community for their involvement in organising various social and cultural activities in Oman. “I am extremely happy to understand that Odia members are doing their best to promote their culture in Oman and are involved in many social activities to extend helping hands to the needy,” he said. Pandey reminded that Odisha was the first state that was created on the basis of language followed by other states in India.

Odia Wing convener Dinabandhu Samal spoke about the glorious history of Odisha and enlightened everyone on the recent developments of the state.

He appealed to every Odia residing in Oman to teach Odia language to their children and urged all to raise fund on regular basis to help the fellow Odia blue collar workers in need.

Renowned filmmaker and founder of Odia Wing Akshaya Kumar Parija exhorted everyone on how the tiny Odia community has evolved to be such a grand one which was created around 15 years ago with just a few people. Appreciating fellow members, he said that Odia members throughout the GCC countries are known for their hard work, honesty and sincerity.

Among eminent personalities in Oman present on the occasion include Indian Social Club Chairman Dr Satish Nambiar, Al Hayat International Hospital Founder Dr KP Raman.

Also present on the occasion were Odia playback singer Tapu Mishra, film director Pratap Kumar Jena, famous comedian Guddu and stage anchor Biswajita . They enthralled the audience with their heart-thrilling performances.

[caption id="attachment_209032" align="alignleft" width="300"] A scene from the famous play "Rebati'[/caption]

Various cultural programmes were too organized to mark the occasion. Odia novelist Fakir Mohan Seanapati’s play ‘Rebati’, a drama on girl education directed by Subhraj and Twinkle Nanda was one of the main attractions of the evening.