Bhubaneswar: The popular weekend street festival Patha Utsav celebrated the day on Janpath with multiple themes like hockey and patriotism, but participation of the brass band of Border Security Force (BSF) and Naval Veterans Club Odisha at the special edition of the event on the concluding day of the .FEST made the occasion memorable.
Young and old, kids, women and even middle-aged men got the Indian Tricolour painted on their faces by experts on the occasion of Patha Utsav. On the two designated stages for performances, many famous patriotic songs were played giving the occasion, Vijay Divas, a touch of patriotic flavor.
The happiness of Patha Utsav participants and the organizations that made it a part of the street festival, knew no bounds when Odia Language, Literature, Culture and Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda announced that after the .FEST and Hockey World Cup (HWC) Patha Utsav will continue every Sunday on the Janpath as it was happening earlier. Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, Deputy Mayor K Shanti and BSF IG Ashwini Kumar Singh were also present.
As a sort of goodbye gesture to the mascot of the Hockey World Cup 2018, a rangoli on the Janpath was created by Itishree Dixit and group. Springdale Maritime Academy, Bhubaneswar, also created a rangoli on the game’s mascot Olly and the maritime tradition of ancient Kalinga Empire.
While the local talent Barnali Hota mesmerized the crowd with her performance, the city-based Punjabi Cultural Association organized a Bhangra dance on stage and entertained the crowd. Both the stages near Master Canteen and Ram Mandir were jam-packed Sunday with crowds as they tried to lip-sing almost all performances and also tried to dance within the limited space around them.
The Punjabi Cultural Association also organized an awareness campaign on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak through Gurudwara Singh Sabha along the Janpath.
While Mo Cycle continued to pull crowds and the young people were seen queuing up near the public bicycle sharing (PBS) docking station near Janpath, they were also seen seeking answers to their queries.
Members of city-based Laughter Club also participated in Patha Utsav and made people aware of the importance of laughter in our day-to-day lives and how we can be healthy and live longer with the acceptance of the norm ‘Be healthy and happy with laughing.’
Nodal officer Patha Utsav and Member Enforcement Bhubaneswar Development Authority Bhabani Shankar Chayani said, “Apart from loads of entertainment and life enhancing tips like physical activities, games, exercise regime, yoga and meaningful contributions to the people of marginalized communities, Patha Utsav also makes people aware of environmental sustainability and responsibility shouldering. Use of newspapers to make alternative items and use of waste to make products also attracted viewers and it helps our city.’’