Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025 - Bhubaneswar

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is scheduled for January 8 to 10, 2025, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

17 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) have already been held. The previous one was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. 

Each year, there is a theme for the event. 

The theme of the 17th PBD Convention was "Diaspora: Trusted Allies for India's Advancement in Amrit Kaal."

This is the first time Odisha is hosting this event.

Abhimanyu Samantasinghar Marg - Bhubaneswar Road Renamed

Yesterday, eminent writer and artist, Shri J.P.Das, shared a Facebook post with an image regarding renaming of a road in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

A particular road that was previously named as "Abhimanyu Samantasinghar Marg" is now known as "Saint Mother Teresa Marg."

How did this happen? 

When did this happen? 

Information is usually not known unless shared.

That is how people become aware.

I first came to know about the incident in 2018 from Shri Prakash Nayak, one of the activists who had raised his voice against the issue.

But, when did the road-name-change happen? In year 2016!

This news-report in the Times of India has more info.

Textiles Committee Bhubaneswar Regional Office

Odisha has been famous for exquisite handicrafts, handlooms and textiles. These popular and rich treasures of Odisha have been a part of Odisha's glorious culture, heritage, history, and maritime trade and commerce for long and have immensely contributed to the employment and livelihood of the artisans and weavers of the state. 

Out of the registered seventeen Geographical Indication (GI) products of Odisha, there are twelve handicrafts including nine handlooms. There are many more potential GI products. 

Odisha has an impressive handloom map. 

Note- All handlooms of Odisha have not been shown in the above map.

In addition, Odisha has 50 crafts recognized by the state Govt. 

Adopt An Animal Of Nandankanan Zoo

If you visit Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha in India, you must visit the Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The name of this beautiful and rich zoological park is Nandankanan - meaning "The Garden of Heaven".

This zoo has amazing wildlife. I have many memories associated with this zoo, as I have visited it many times during my school vacations and on trips with my cousins.

Yogini Temples of Odisha

Odisha, a state located in eastern India, has many ancient temples. From the 7th and 8th centuries of the Christian era, tantricism had a strong presence and was practiced in different parts of India. 

The concept of Yogini cult was propounded by Matsyendranatha in Kamarupa in 8th century A.D.
The Kaula-Kapalika school and the Mattamayura school streams of religious thoughts contributed to the development of tantricism and the construction of shrines in the early medieval period in Odisha. Tantric arts and thoughts were very popular and well-developed in the ancient Odisha's regions- Kosala, Kalinga and Utkala. 

Odisha has two important shrines of the sixty-four Yoginis. One is located at Hirapur near the state capital, Bhubaneswar and the other is at Ranipur Jharial near Titlagarh in Bolangir district.
Goddess Parvati or Sati is called "Shakti". Shakti is divided into sixty-four parts; each part has a distinct identity/function and is termed 'Yogini'.

Sixty-four is called "Chausathi" in Odia language.

Thus, these temples are called Chausathi Yogini.

Both the Yogini temples are circular in shape and have no roof.

Hirapur village is located at a distance of about 15 kilometres to the east of Bhubaneswar. 

Lingaraj Temple And Liminal View

The Lingaraj Temple is a spectacular temple located in the old town area of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

View of Lingaraj Temple from the bank of Bindusagar Tank

The temple stands as a testimony to the amazing expertise, skill and experience of Odia architects and artisans. The Lingaraj Temple was built by three generations of Somavamsi kings. It is believed that the temple's construction was over by 1114 AD when Anantavarman Chodagangadeva was the ruler of Odisha. 

Heritage Sites Around Bhubaneswar

There are many heritage sites in and around Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Bhubaneswar is called the 'temple city'. Out of the thousands of temples and heritage sites that were once existent, some exist. 

There are many lesser-known heritage sites around Bhubaneswar and its twin city, Cuttack.

Gandhiji, Swadeshi Spirit And Handloom

During a seminar in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, when I was addressing a room full of youth, I asked them, “How many of you have at least one handloom garment in your wardrobe?” I was shocked to see that just a few hands went up. I urged everyone to choose handloom garments the next time they go shopping.

What is stopping us from wearing garments manufactured in India and adopting the ‘swadeshi’ spirit like what our father of the nation, Gandhiji, advocated?

Faith - First Step To Create Fabulous Structures

The temple city, Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha in India, has many heritage sites that stand as a testimony to faith.

Udayagiri Caves, Bhubaneswar

Whenever I see the various structures, I am filled with awe.
I often feel they stand here to tell their story and to teach us lessons.

Who were the skilled craftsmen who created such fabulous works of art?
How did they dream of shaping those rocks into fantastic sculptures, caves and monuments that have withstood the ravages of time?

Earth Day In Bhubaneswar

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year.

The whole idea is to become conscious and take care of our planet. Of course, we must do this every day and not simply dedicate one hour or one day as Earth Hour or Earth Day... Nevertheless, such initiatives are important to create the necessary awareness and action.

Last year, on April 22 2018, we had a great Earth Day celebration in my locality in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

The venue was- 'Amrut Vatika', a garden near IMFA Park, in Sahid-Nagar, Bhubaneswar. This was in collaboration with an NGO named 'Jeevan Rekha Parishad' and 'Kitchen Gardeners Association'.

There were posters with 'Go Green' and 'Save Trees' etc. messages that the school students displayed.

Book Reading With William Dalrymple At Bhubaneswar

We were excited to learn about author and historian William Dalrymple's book reading event at Bhubaneswar on 5th April 2019.
Odisha Tourism has invited William Dalrymple as a guest from April 5-8, 2019.
Last year, in January 2018, he was in Bhubaneswar for the Tata Steel Literary Festival. I had a chance to attend it and to speak to him.

The venue decided for this year's book reading was heritage site Mukteswar Temple, built in 950 AD, famous as the 'gem of Odisha architecture'.

Durga Puja Festival In Bhubaneswar

Durga Puja is celebrated with much pomp and fanfare in Odisha, India.
Lakhs of people visit the pandals. The light decoration is to be seen to be believed.
Grandeur and opulence is unmistakable and each year the celebration seems to be bigger and better. Puja committees compete to install the finest decoration and innovative themes.

Bomikhal Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

People wear new clothes and throng with their families to visit the beautiful pandals.
Traditional foods of Odisha are prepared and served to the devotees as prasad/bhog.

Bomikhal Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

There are traffic crawls near the famous pandals especially in the evenings when the pandal-hoppers love to move around. They enjoy the light decoration.

Rasulgarh Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

Rasulgarh Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

When it is time to bid adieu to the Goddess, it is like a carnival on the streets.
Some idols are immersed in the river, while others are put in special temporary ponds created for immersion purpose.

This year in 2018, the total number of pandals in the capital city Bhubaneswar was 174.
Twin city Cuttack boasts of exquisite idols adorned with silver and gold filigree work.
More than 400 pujas are conducted in both the cities.

Sahid Nagar Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

The staggering number of pujas makes me think what if we could restrict the number of Puja Pandals for each city to say 4-5? If not 4-5, at least one-tenth of the number now?
Will the city lose out the celebration if we have 10-20 Puja Pandals?

The three pandal pics shared here belong to the pandals that are in a radius of just one kilometre. One can cover these by walking.

Sahid Nagar Pandal 2018, Bhubaneswar

The Puja budget of the committees is in lakhs and some in crores of Indian Rupees.
No doubt, Durga Puja is much-loved and all the idols and pandals bestow a feeling of great pride and achievement.
While the pandal construction and other activities involved with the Durga Puja makes employment and business sense, there are other administrative and environmental factors and issues that need to be kept in mind.

The amount of pollution is immense. The area near the pandals, the roads etc are littered by the reveling crowds, some with a devil-may-care attitude. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) employees have to work extra.
Temporary ponds have been successful to save the rivers to some extent. But, what about the greater damage? The ponds are filled, but the waste must be cleared from the dump and has to be dumped somewhere, right?

How about spending the lakhs and crores of rupees on things more concrete?

I often think what if Goddess Durga Herself gave this message to the organizers of Her puja?
Will they listen to Her?

‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’

Also linking with- ABC Wednesday- P for Puja, Pandals, Pomp

Chosen as a WOW post here

World Vegetarian Day At Chili's Bhubaneswar

It was wonderful to be invited to for the grand opening of CHILI'S - America's favourite Tex-Mex cuisine restaurant in Bhubaneswar today on 1st October 2018.
TEX-MEX refers to Texas and Mexican food.

Chili's is an American Grill & Bar restaurant chain with presence in about 35 countries globally. The first restaurant was established in 1975 in Dallas, Texas.

In India, Chili's is present in Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Chandigarh. Today, it has opened its newest restaurant in Bhubaneswar's newest mall, the Esplanade Mall. 

Chili's has chosen a memorable day for its launch in Bhubaneswar- 1st October is World Vegetarian Day!

Ekamra Van Bhubaneswar #AToZChallenge

Bhubaneswar has many beautiful and well-maintained gardens and parks like Nandankanan and Ekamra Van to name a few.

Ekamra Van is an impressive garden in the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar. Located on the Western bank of the Bindusagar tank, Ekamra Van has over 200 medicinal plants and trees. 
The garden was opened for the public in 2009.

Nandankanan Zoological Park #AToZChallenge

Nandankanan is a beautiful Zoological Park that was established on 29 December, 1960, in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha.
The name 'Nandankanan' literally means the 'Garden of Heaven'.
Nandankanan is a combination of Zoo, Sanctuary and Botanical Garden.

Source: Nandankanan Website

Nandankanan is located amidst the lush green Chandaka Forest along the banks of the Kanjia Lake. The beautiful natural settings and the flora and fauna make Nandankanan one of the best parks and sanctuaries of India. The Park covers an area of about 362.1 hectares and the Sanctuary covers 437 hectares.

Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar #AToZChallenge

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, is called the 'Temple City' as it has many temples.

Mukteswar Temple is called the 'gem' of Odishan architecture. 

Located in the 'Old Town' area of Bhubaneswar, Mukteswar temple was built in 950 AD. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of  'Mukteswar' that means- 'the Lord who gives freedom'.

The sculptures of ascetics are depicted in various meditation positions. 

Panchatantra tales are beautifully depicted on the walls. This photograph below shows the story of the monkey and the crocodile.

Durga Puja 2017 At Bhubaneswar

Durga Puja is an important festival of eastern India. It marks the victory of good over evil.

Goddess Durga is Maa Durga i.e. Mother Durga. She had the powers to vanquish the evil demon named Mahishasura.

Durga Puja and Dussehra is celebrated with much fanfare and excitement at Odisha, India.

Capital city, Bhubaneswar, and its twin-city and former capital, Cuttack, have hundreds of Durga Puja Pandals. 

This Puja, I could manage to visit only half a dozen Pandals out of the hundreds!

Though it was raining heavily, the rains couldn't dampen the festive spirit. As the public flocked happily, the Pandals were teeming with ardent devotees.

Parking is a nightmare. But, Pandal-hopping is so much fun!

Bomikhal
The Bomikhal Pandal was like a white palace with angels on its walls beckoning us.

 Maa Durga and her team looked resplendent in gold.

VanaMahotsav In Bhubaneswar

There is little doubt that the temperature is rising and we are feeling the heat.
Plant more trees and help our cities to beat the heat.
More trees are a necessity and a treat.

Our Planet Earth needs to be treated right, else with our haphazard ways, we have to bid goodbye to it and look for a new home...

By 2100,8 degrees Celsius warmer cities
Or
Better planet🌎 with more trees?
Plant #Trees please🌲🌳#WED2017 #WorldEnvironmentDay #environment pic.twitter.com/ztaIxLWfW4

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) June 3, 2017

Trees are much needed. Unfortunately, "everybody wants to park in the shade, but not many are willing to plant a tree."

Hope everyone wants to plant a tree just like everyone wants to park in d shade! #PlantTrees #Trees 🌎 #Earth#WorldEnvironmentDay #WED2017 https://t.co/ekGZ43pUNa

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) June 5, 2017

Some are willing, but they have no clue how to go about it! Last year, I was looking for a space for my Mango saplings.

Need-any free space/land where I can plant my Mango saplings🌱 & they'll be allowed to grow into trees🌳.
Pl inform.🌿 pic.twitter.com/6oDCkhazpv

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) June 22, 2016

After much follow-up, I was given five tree-guards from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). I planted five saplings on the roadside, but I still have the rest of the saplings at home...

This year I had been looking forward to join in the VanaMahotsav event.

Did you know that #Vanamahotsav was started in 1950 by the then Union Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr K. M. Munshi? #conservation pic.twitter.com/RHE5mHjaTW

— Amar Chitra Katha (@ACKComics) July 3, 2017

At Vana Mahotsav, announced decision to observe 7 July as State Plantation Day & plant record 50 lakh saplings in one day across #Odisha⁠⁠⁠⁠ pic.twitter.com/ShvB4lv84T

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 2, 2017

Proud to be actively involved along with members of Aryan Cub -  a local youth club, Baristha Nagarika Sangha - Senior Citizens Association, BMC officials & workers, Forest Division officials, and enthusiastic neighbours.
Together we have planned a plantation event.

Look who all occupied our car's backseat today! I tried to memorize their names!

Driven to be planted on VanaMahotsav !

Excited to attend our very own VanaMahotsav in Bhubaneswar!
Here are the details:

Date: 7th July, 2017
Time: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Venue: Aryan Club Sporting Ground, located in the next lane of Happy Hours School, Sahid-Nagar, and near SBI, Sahid-Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
All are invited!

If you are in Bhubaneswar and you have always dreamed to plant a tree, you are most welcome to join us.

Note- The plantation space is limited. Be punctual to get a chance!

My #CityEvent post for IndiSpire Edition 176
Three Word Wednesday- Goodbye, Memorize, Haphazard

Have you ever planted a tree in your life? Do share in the comments below.

Celebration of Rasagola Day

Today is July 30- celebrated as International Day of Friendship. It was declared by the General Assembly of United Nations in 2011.

Last year in 2015, we had started our celebration of the Rasgulla Day or Rasagola Day i.e. #RasagolaDibasa on this very date July 30th as it happened to be 'Niladri Bije' - the last day of the Rath Yatra. 

Rasagolas- Yummy Sweets that originated in Odisha

Many don't know about Niladri Bije- this centuries-old tradition of the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, India where Lord Jagannath offers His wife, Maa Lakshmi Rasagolas and then only He is granted entry inside the Temple after He arrives from His journey with His siblings!

Niladri Bije is the day when devotees offer Rasagolas to Lord Jagannath.

This year, Niladri Bije was on July 17th and we celebrated the 2nd Rasagola Day with great happiness.

My SandArt at PuriBeach in Odisha for #RasagolaDibasa . It is celebrated on NiladriBije of Lord #Jagannath pic.twitter.com/BDCcScsavL

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) July 16, 2016

15 FAQs about Rasagola Day

July 17th 2016 was a Sunday. Sundays are reserved for Raahgiri in some Indian cities like Bhubaneswar. On Raahgiri Sundays, a fixed stretch of road is cordoned off and kept traffic-free. Public is free to reclaim the street & walk, cycle, skate, paint, exercise, sing, dance & participate in Raahgiri events that are held on that particular road.

Dalma Hotel, Bhubaneswar

The food belonging to the state of Odisha i.e. Odia cuisine is very nutritious and delicious.
Though we have it everyday at home, this weekend we tried out a popular restaurant named Dalma.
This hotel is named after a famous dish of Odisha- Dalma dish is prepared using Dal (Pulses- Arhar or Moong) along with vegetables and coconut.

Dalma restaurant has three branches in Bhubaneswar and also has branches in other cities like Delhi, Kolkata & Bengaluru. We visited the Unit-4, Madhusudan Nagar branch in Bhubaneswar.

Here is my post about Dalma Restaurant for www.askme.com

Dalma Hotel, Unit-4, Bhubaneswar

I was excited to find Saura Art on the walls leading to the restaurant. Saura Art is a beautiful tribal art of Odisha that depicts humans, animals and nature.