Bhubaneswar, Mar 31 (UNI) For the first time, the Odisha government will celebrate Odia Festival from Odisha Day on Tuesday to Odia New Year on April 14.

The government will organize various programs from the block level to the state level for 14 days.

Official sources stated, "This year, for the first time, 'Odia Paksha' will be celebrated from April 1, marking Odisha Day, until April 14, the Odia New Year.

To commemorate this grand and divine festival, various departments of the Odisha government will organize events at different levels, involving the public. Odia Day will be observed with the aim of promoting Odia cultural values, customs, and traditions globally," said Odisha Culture Minister Suryavanshi Suraj.

On April 1, in addition to celebrating the formation of an independent, language-based Odisha province, Odisha Day will be observed at the state, district, and sub-district levels.

For nursery school enrollment in the state, the Khadikha and Prasad ceremonies will be conducted by the Department of School and Mass Education and the Department of Women and Child Development on April 2.

To promote traditional Odia attire and Odisha's handicrafts and textiles, the Handlooms, Textiles, and Handicrafts Department will observe "Our Clothes, Our Identity" day on April 3.

The Labour and State Employees’ Insurance Department will organize the "Odia Name Plate Campaign - Awareness Walk" on April 4 to encourage the use of Odia nameplates in shops and markets across the state.

On April 5, the Sports and Youth Affairs Department will organize a heritage race, followed by a cleanliness campaign on April 6 to maintain the temples and heritage sites of Odisha.

On April 7, Barnabodh Manthu-Barnabodh Utsav will be celebrated in honor of Barnabodha, a literary work by devotional poet Madhusudan Rao, which introduces readers to the Odia language. This event will be organized in collaboration with the Department of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture.

A blood donation campaign will be conducted on April 8 by the Red Cross, the Health and Family Welfare Department, and the Higher Education Department.

On April 9, the campaign “Let’s Buy a Book” will be held in collaboration with the Department of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture, and the Higher Education Department to promote Odia literature and book reading.

To showcase Odisha's folk art to the world, "Folk Art Day – Honoring Senior Artists and Kalagram Visit" will be celebrated on April 10. Additionally, a young writers’ conference will be organized by the Odisha Sahitya Academy, Higher Education, Sports, and Youth Services Department on April 11.

A discussion on the Barputras of Odisha (legendary figures) will be held in collaboration with the Odisha Sahitya Academy and the District Administration.

On April 13, the Traditional Food Cultivation Campaign – “Our Taste, Our Food” will be organized by the Panchayati Raj and Housing and Urban Development Departments.

The Odia New Year will be celebrated on April 14 with great enthusiasm.

The Odisha Culture Minister, who chaired a preparatory meeting on Sunday, directed the Secretaries of various departments and District Collectors to ensure the successful celebration of the Odia festival, encouraging maximum public participation.

UNI DP KK