Bhubaneswar, August 21, 2018: A two-day Viswa Odia Sammelani will be held at New Delhi from December 23 this year.
Speaking to the press during the launch of the official website and Android App, Sammelani president Dr Murali Manohar Sharma said that the two day conclave will be an event with participation from the entire Odia diaspora spread all over the world.
The contribution of Odias in the fields of medicine, engineering, IT sector, research is phenomenal, he added.
Dr Sitakanta Das, the Mentor of the Sammelani said that this will be a platform for Odias who love their culture and are proud of the roots.
Kishore Dwivedi, the Convener of this conclave said that participation from America, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and other places has been confirmed. The two-day conclave will have a slew of programmes which will highlight the rich diverse culture and heritage of our glorious state. There will be scintillating performances of Odishan dance, music and martial art forms.
Others who attended the launch ceremony included Dr Bimalendu Mohanty, the former Vice Chancellor and Dr Kamal Mishra, the present Vice Chancellor of the Utkal University of Culture.
Dr Gopinath Mohanty and other Jagannath Cult scholars too attended the launch. Anil Dhir said that the Odia diaspora should be expanded and the Odias of Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji, West Indies etc. too should be included.
He said that there was a mass exodus of Odias to foreign shores after the Great Odisha Famine of 1866. They usually went as indentured labourers to work in sugar plantations and forest clearance, and have been forgotten.
