Sambalpur: The Paschimanchala Akata Manch has decided to observe the birth aniversary of poet Satyanarayan Bohidar as "Sambalpuri Day" on August 1.

The day will be celebrated by organising a mass cultural festival of dance and song on the street between Jail Chhak and Kacheri Chhak.

People will wear colourful Sambalpuri attire and varieties of west Odisha popular food will be sold on the occasion. A typical Sambalpuri "pitha" competition will also be organised. One of the main attraction will be a fashion show.

Apart from various cultural programmes, citation of Sambalpuri poetry will be organised in which various cultural and literary organisations will take part, convener of Paschimanchala Akata Manch Bhawani Bhoi said. He said preparations were on to make the programme colourful and attractive.

Boihidar was a teacher in the Chandrasekher Behera Zilla School. He had written many Sambalpuri popular poems. Actor Atal Bihari Panda will be honoured with "Satyanarayan Bohidar Memorial Award" by the organizers on this occasion.

Bhoi said socio-cultural troupes such as Lahari, Natraj, Adivasi Kala Kendra, Kala-O-Kalakar, Loka Nrutya Parishad have confirmed that they would take part in the event. Singers Syam Sundar Dhar, Durga Das, Lipika Bohidar, Raj Kumar Jal, and Padmini Dora will enthral the audience with their performances with accompaniment of dhol, muhuri and nishan.

"Efforts are on to celebrate the day in various parts of Western Odisha," Kamal Panda, convener of Western Odisha Hirakhand Samukhaya said.

"Main aim of the function is to promote Sambalpuri culture, language and its tradition in the present modern day context."