Bhubaneswar, April 17: Heatwave took a toll on Raahgiri today. The weekly event was shortened by an hour as people were asked to vacate the Janpath Road by 8.30am.

The sun rose at 5.30am today, while the temperature was 38° Celsius at around 8am.

"As the mercury level showed a steady rise, the volunteers were instructed to ask the attendees to leave. Several children and elderly citizens had gathered at the event and the heat was taking a toll on them. That is why we decided to reduce the time limit," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The mayor announced that the event would be conducted between 6am to 8.30am from next week due to the onslaught of severe heatwave.

The initial days of the Raahgiri used to witness a footfall of 50,000 people, but the harsh weather conditions have adversely affected the attendance level. Today, 40,000 people turned up for the event.

The heat was such that people were seen sprinkling water on themselves to stay cool, while others scurried towards the shades or were found sitting on the pavements.

"The zeal is there but with this heat one gets tired easily and it is an uphill task to remain active for long," said Akanksha Mohapatra, a college student.

The heat also had its effect on the number of cyclists and skaters.

"I could only cycle for half an hour today and got tired. My friends also did not accompany me unlike other weeks because of the severe heat," said Priyabrata Jena, an IT professional. A few visitors also complained about the lack of availability of drinking water.

Today's event focused on the death anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik. A number of social groups created images of Biju through various art installations. The paintings in acrylic showcased various facets of the leader - from that of a dreamer and lover of children to an architect.

"The paintings speak of Biju Patnaik's service to the nation. I wish the youngsters follow his ideals and work towards a resurgent Odisha," said Monalisa Sahoo, a visitor.

Students of B.K. College of Arts and Crafts also presented a painting of Biju to culture minister Ashok Panda.

Actress and filmmaker Bijaya Jena aka Dolly, who is now based in Mumbai, attended the event and interacted with the participants.

Apart from the regular walking, cycling, yoga and other cultural and fitness activities were also conducted.

Kidzee School students created an awareness campaign on the theme of saving the girl child through their stage performance.

Sai International School students staged a musical performance, while the Ama Kalakar Parivar team presented a number of old songs.