Bhubaneswar, Feb. 7: The fourth edition of Raahgiri, which was held today, was attended by 45,000 people. Youngsters got a lot to learn from the event.

From understanding the difficulties faced by differently-abled people to gathering knowledge on how to protect indigenous birds and animals, they had an enlightening experience. Disability rights group Swabhiman conducted exercises to sensitise young people about the hardships that differently-abled people have to face in their daily lives.

"The idea is to enhance the feeling of an inclusive society and acceptance of diversity among the youth," said social activist and Swabhiman chief Sruti Mohapatra.

Wildies, a group of animal lovers, organised a photo show. Around 40 clicks, mostly of common birds that are seen around the city, were displayed for the audience.

College students and schoolchildren along with their parents visited the kiosks and tried to identify the birds, such as sparrows, crows, kingfishers and orioles.

"Our aim is to encourage the younger generations to take care of the environment and make them realise how common birds are becoming extinct. We are telling them about the urgency to plant trees and make hedges to attract winged guests," said Kumud Rath, a member of Wildies.

The members also encouraged passers-by to adopt birds and spend time with nature.

Today's event started 30 minutes earlier at 6am and continued till 9.30am. Vehicles remained off the roads from Master Canteen Square to Ram Mandir Square. Around 45,000 people took to the streets and engaged themselves in various activities.

Another disability rights group, Aaina, gave training on sign language to the crowd. Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena also displayed his sign language skills.