Weavers spin charkha on the occasion of Raahgiri on Janpath in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

People from diverse backgrounds and age groups came together to celebrate the third edition of the event.

The enthusiasm was double this time as Bhubaneswar recently topped the list in the smart city contest. Residents celebrated the achievement by cutting a huge cake. Brand ambassador of the campaign, Archita Sahu, also joined the celebrations.

From 6.30am to 10.30am, vehicles stayed off the roads from Master Canteen Square to Ram Mandir Square as around 30,000 residents took to the streets to engage themselves in various activities.

Tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate his 68th death anniversary. To promote 'Gandhigiri', the Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board organised an exhibition on the stretch. A demonstration area was also set up where people got an opportunity to witness the process of weaving handloom. Around eight rural women weavers showcased the spinning of the eight-spindle charkha.

"I was always eager to know how a charkha works. I gained a lot of knowledge and it was fun trying my hands at the spinning wheel," said Sweety Samantray, a 25-year-old IT professional. A huge model of the traditional Gandhi charkha was also put up for display.

For the first time in Raahgiri, children and faculty members from around 25 schools in the city took part. Walking with their placards and dressed in colourful uniform, the students took out a mini rally.

Principal of DAV Public School, Pokhariput, Sujata, who tok part in Raahgiri, said: "The event will help bind people and also create a green and clean city. I am proud to be a part of this event and I will ensure that students from my school come here every week and showcase something meaningful.''

Apart from the regular walking, cycling and other cultural activities, inclusion of new games such as Hoopla and fitness activities such as Zumba got a lot of attention.

"More government agencies from different sectors will be involved in Raahgiri in the upcoming weeks," said Bhubaneswar mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Text by Anwesha Ambaly

Picture by Ashwinee Pati