UNITED COLOURS OF ODISHA 

Bhubaneswar, April 1: The twin cities today put their best foot forward to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the formation of Odisha as a separate state on the basis of language.

Decorative lights, cultural events and talks and discussions on the history of the state marked the 80th Utkal Divas.

Dazzling light decorations along the Sachivalaya Marg lit up since Thursday evening had already set the celebratory mood in the city. Today, to add to the glamour, all buildings along the stretch, including the Assembly, secretariat and other government buildings, were also adorned with beautiful lights that enhanced the festive mood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to twitter to wish the state on this day.

"On Utkal Diwas, I convey my greetings to the kind and industrious people of Odisha and hope that Odisha's development will attain new heights," the Prime Minister said.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also conveyed his greetings to the people of the state and paid tributes to the legendary freedom fighters. "Remembering the pioneers of #Odisha statehood movement on 80th anniversary of #OdishaDivas," wrote Naveen on his twitter handle.

The state government organised a colourful programme in the evening at the Utkal Mandap to celebrate the special occasion.

The event included a photo exhibition of leaders, who had revived the literary pride of Odia language and made the dream of an Odisha province come true like the father of modern Odia literature Fakir Mohan Senapati, the founding fathers of Odisha - Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das, Krushna Chandra Gajapati and many more.

The chief minister also spoke at a function where state ministers and MLAs were present.

The Odisha Review's Utkal Divas special edition for 2016 and Odia encyclopedia Aame Odia's fifth edition were unveiled by Naveen. Meritorious disabled people were presented Red Cross awards and winners of state-level debate were also felicitated on the occasion. A police band performed musical symphony, while Odissi dance programme was hosted by the state culture department.

"Various events will be hosted throughout the year in remembrance of the leaders behind the formation of Odisha. We will also use the special logo launched for 80 years of independent Odisha throughout the year in all state departments," said the chief minister.

An exhibition of paintings was also hosted at the same venue where 50 works that are a part of collection of the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi were displayed. Most works were tributes to leaders of the state during national movement and Odisha formation. Some also reflected how the state is neglecting its culture.

In Cuttack, which had been the hub of nationalist activities, many events were hosted to mark the day. The Utkal Sammilani hosted garlanding of statues of the Odia leaders across the city, while the district administration hosted cultural functions. Also, a marathon was hosted by the Cuttack District Athletic Association to celebrate Utkal Divas. It kick started from Barabati Fort. As many as 1,200 participants covered the Ring Road and reached the Barabati Stadium that was the finishing point.

Stars in Muscat

Odia film stars Sabysachi Mishra and Archita Sahu were invited by the Odia Association at Oman to join the Utkal Divas celebrations there. A programme was organised at the Indian Embassy Auditorium in Muscat on the occasion. The duo interacted with fans there and spoke on the various issues that Odia language was dealing with ay the moment. 

Book release

The third volume on the formation of a separate Odisha province on the basis of language was inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the Odisha State Archives on Friday. The book covers the era from 1922 to 1936 and has important records including documents and articles relating to the formation of the state. A number of photographic records are also in the book. 

Wishes galore

Online wishes poured in from Odias living across the globe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted his wishes. He wrote: “On Utkal Diwas, I convey my greetings to the kind and industrious people of Odisha and hope that Odisha's development will attain new heights.” Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also tweeted a message on the occasion.

Sand art

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture on the occasion at Bhubaneswar airport in collaboration with Odisha Tourism. The sculpture was a medley of all the major tourist attractions in Odisha including Dhauli Stupa, Konark temple, Jagannath temple and the Buddhist heritage sites. The sculpture impressed passengers, especially tourists, at the airport.