Bhubaneswar, Nov. 4: Around 500 cyclists from across the globe will gather in the state for the Konark International Cyclothon to promote cycling in and around tourist destinations in Odisha.
The video teaser for the event, which will be held on November 29, was released today. The event is being organised by the Roots of Odisha Foundation.
The organisers have roped in celebrities, including filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda, former Indian hockey captain and MP Dilip Tirkey, Odia film star and MP Siddhanta Mohapatra, international sand artist Sudharshan Pattnaik, mountaineer Jogabyasa Bhoi and cyclist and Arjuna awardee Minati Mohapatra as ambassadors. India's top-ranked women's badminton player Saina Nehwal will also attend the event.
The ambassadors are already touring the state to promote the event. International cyclists who are taking part in the event are also promoting it in their respective countries, lending the cyclothon an international touch, said one of the organisers.
"It is a campaign to create awareness among the people about the environment, the effects of climate change, on how to protect the ecosystem and to promote cycling as an alternate mode of communication," said Rashmi Ranjan Parida, one of the organisers of the event.
As part of the event, the cyclists will cover the 40km distance between Konark and Puri along the marine drive. "The stretch is surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna. The area is home to a number of endangered plant and animal species and is a destination for migratory birds. The ecosystem has abundant resources that sustain the livelihood for fishermen, farmers and people employed in tourism. There could be no better place for the event," said even co-ordinator Sudhir Kumar Dash.
Culture and tourism minister Ashok Panda had released the logo of the event during the Global Odisha Conference in Washington in July.
"I am hopeful that this cyclothon would increase interest in cycling in Odisha, and also promote the health benefits it brings, tourism and Odisha as a brand across the globe," he told The Telegraph today.
"We will conduct another event next year in Koraput with popular mountaineers of the state to promote cycling in the mountains which is quite popular abroad," said Parida.
