Celebrating Utkal Diwas or Odisha Foundation Day is certainly one of the joyous moments in the life of all Odias. No matter how far they remain from their birth place, the members of Odia diasporas always carry a part of traditions with them wherever they go. With a spike in the number of Non-Resident Odias(NROs) over the years, popular festivals like Rath Yatra, Raja and Utkal Diwas are celebrated on the foreign soil like never before. Even the outbreak of Covid-19 failed to dampen the spirit with Odia societies celebrating them virtually. Ahead of Odisha Foundation Day or Utkal Diwas, a few Odia diasporas share with Sunday POST their celebration plans.
Odia Society of Singapore (OSS) president Alok Panda says, “Utkal Diwas is the largest annual event that we have been celebrating here for the last few decades. The scale of celebration has only been upped with guest of honours from Singapore Public Service, Indian Ambassador to Singapore and public figures and celebrities from Odisha gracing the event. The core objective is to celebrate Odia identity and take pride in being Odia.”
About preparation, Alok says: “The celebration starts with months of preparation and activities and ends on the evening of the final day of celebration where winners of different competitions and performers are felicitated. Artistes from Odisha from different fields are invited to perform and recognised for promoting Odia art and culture. This way we try to bring Odisha closure to Singapore and promote the rich Odia culture and heritage in Singapore’s multi-racial culture.”
He adds: “Since last two years we have been celebrating the event virtually because of Covid. While the format of celebration is the same, the interaction is virtual. This year will not be an exception. The local Odia community is busy preparing for the event to showcase their talent.”
Auditor of OSS Subrat Nayak, talking about its formation, says, “OSS was launched informally in the year 1995 thanks to some like-minded Odia expatriate in Singapore with an aim to spread the essence of Odisha and make the Odia people residing in Singapore feel at home. However, OSS was officially inaugurated in the year 2011. OSS has made head start and grown over the last decade with more people arriving in Singapore in search of jobs and higher education. The outfit focuses to promote socio-cultural activities and to promote the rich heritage of Odisha. Apart from Utkal Diwas, we do celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali with fanfare. Odissi and Sambalpuri dances are a special attraction of Utkal Diwas celebration.”
“Our society has been organising Utkal Divas for years. We feel proud that we could celebrate our roots and enjoy everything Odia despite living in a foreign country. Our Utkal Diwas programme also includes various cultural events which witness the maximum participation by expatriate Odias. Among the attendees are also many officials, a few celebrities and established businessmen from among the expatriate community in Singapore”, he says.
Speaking about the importance of such celebrations, a resident of Singapore Pabitra says, “Observing such events is a great way to make our kids understand the rich heritage of our state and learn about the importance of statehood. When it comes to Utkal Diwas, this festival also helps wards to know about Odisha and its glorious history. We get an opportunity to spread our state’s rich heritage by celebrating the occasion.”
Odia Society of the Americas (OSA) and Odia Society of California have also been celebrating Utkal Diwas for years to spread the Odia culture on foreign lands.
Dhirendra Kar, a member of OSA says, “OSA was set up with a vision to promote Odia culture in America by bringing all Odia-speaking people under an umbrella. We leave no stone unturned to celebrate the statehood day of Odisha. We do invite eminent personalities of our state as part of the celebration to make it worth remembering. Recital of country poems adds zing to the cultural programme.”
Of late, Odias settled in the UAE have also started celebrating Utkal Diwas with pomp and gaiety.
Last year Odia families residing in the UAE gathered at Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world with ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ placards to mark Utkal Diwas. They sang the state anthem to celebrate the occasion.
Snigdha, a resident of the UAE says, “We had a gala time on Utkal Diwas day. Remembering motherland and memories related to it on its formation day was indeed a matter of pleasure. Apart from singing our state anthem, we had also come up with signature Odia dishes like Dahibara Aludum and Arisha Pitha to make the event memorable.”
Rashmi Rekha Das,OP