Odisha Govt Announces 14-Day ‘Odia Pakhya’ Celebration to Promote Language and Culture

Odisha Govt Announces 14-Day ‘Odia Pakhya’ Celebration to Promote Language and Culture

The Odisha government will celebrate Odia Pakhya from April 1 (Odia Day) to April 14 (Odia New Year) to promote Odia language, literature, and culture with pomp and grandeur. The Department of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture will organize the event, alongside various other state departments.

Event Schedule and Highlights:

April 1: Odisha Day will be celebrated at state, district, and sub-division levels to mark the formation of a language-based state.

April 2: The School and Mass Education Department will organize various programs in educational institutions.

April 3: The Department of Handlooms, Textiles, and Handicrafts will hold the campaign ‘Our Dress, Our Identity’ to promote traditional Odia attire and the textile industry.

April 4: The Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department will conduct a name plaque campaign in Odia, urging shops and markets to display nameplates in the local language.

April 6: A cleanliness drive will be carried out at temples and heritage sites, jointly organized by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Tourism, and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water departments.

April 7: The day will be observed as ‘Varnbodh Utsav’, dedicated to distributing ‘Varnbodh’, a devotional poem by Madhusudan Rao, which introduces children to the Odia language.

April 9: The campaign ‘Come, Buy a Book’ will be launched to promote Odia literature and encourage book reading.

Government’s Vision:

Odia Pakhya will feature various programs throughout the fortnight to popularize and promote Odia language, literature, and culture. The event aims to strengthen the Odia identity and cultural pride.