Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 13: The city of temples celebrated its 67th foundation day with much pomp and gaiety.
A vast crowd gathered at PMG here to witness celebrations organised by the information and public relations (I&PR) department and the Capital Day Foundation Committee. Students, parents, teachers, politicians, and government officials among others participated in the celebrations.
The day kicked off with a ceremonial civilian parade in which students from different schools and colleges participated, followed by a prize distribution ceremony in which 13 personalities from different fields were conferred with the Rajdhani Gouraba Samman for their outstanding contribution to the development of the city.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari, excise minister Damodar Rout, culture and tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda, and Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena were among the public figures who attended the programme. A website titled www.khojakhoji.com was also launched during the event.
A photograph exhibition cataloguing the city’s development over the years was organised by the I&PR department which was inaugurated by minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak at Soochana Bhawan.
Photographs of ancient monuments and landmarks representing the modern city which were built during the course of
its development over the decades were showcased.
“I hope the exhibition helps people know the rich and fascinating history of the city. All major developmental activities that took place in the course of its development have been highlighted in the exhibition,” said Nayak.
“Most of the pictures that are exhibited in the exhibition are very old which truly highlight the story of Bhubaneswar. There are pictures of many prominent buildings built in the past 67 years which shows the transition from an old city to a vibrant, new, developed city,” said Ravikant Routray, a Class IX student.
In another programme organised by Ama Bhubaneswar, different cultural activities were conducted in which young students from different schools performed modern and classical dance which captivated the audience.
Prominent personalities from art, culture and education were felicitated at the programme.
In the evening, a musical programme was held in which noted music director Basudev Rath along with his team performed popular numbers.