Bansuri maestro Hariprasad Chourasia (second from left) addresses those taking part at the 10th edition of Raahgiri in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

With summer around the corner, preserving water was the central theme. Chaurasia, who was also the chief guest at the weekly event, spoke on the ever-growing scarcity of water and urged citizens to save it. Although he did not perform, the visitors were thrilled by the music of well-known singer of SaReGaMaPa fame Abhijit Ghosal, who started his rendition with the well-known Odia classic "Hrudayara ehi sunyataku."

The soaring temperature did not deter the spirit of the people. Voluntary organisation Bakul took out a symbolic funeral procession with a huge water droplet made with 3D craft and carried it on their shoulders across the entire 1.5km stretch of Janpath. The State Bank of India donated a cheque to Bhubaneswar municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar and mayor Ananta Narayan Jena for buying 100 bicycles that would promote non-motorised transport in the city. The office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities carried out an awareness drive by celebrating the World Down Syndrome Day, which falls on March 21. While children with disabilities also performed at the Raahgiri on Sunday, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani planted saplings on the Janpath median to launch his unique programme titled "Mayor's Green".

As part of the initiative, city-based plantation group Green World Trust will add 500 saplings along the avenue.

The Puri municipality in collaboration with Nalco also organised Raahgiri. Nalco chairman and managing director Tapan Kumar Chand said Raahgiri sends a strong social message, where the pedestrians reclaim the road for a couple of hours and use it to express their freedom.

Text by Sandeep Mishra

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