Bhubaneswar: More than 200 families of Odia diaspora residing in different parts of Saudi Arabia celebrated Utkala Dibasa in Dammam on Monday.
The Utkal Dibasa programme, organised by the Odisha Association of Saudi Arabia, Kalingan – KSA, began with the Odisha state song ‘Bande Utkala Janani’. It was followed by dance recitals and other cultural shows. A debate competition among children was also held on the occasion.
The event featured Odisha’s dance, music, handicrafts, fashion and food. Children, men and women participated in various musical performances. They enthralled the audience with their performance.
Another attraction at the event was the the traditional and delicious food items dished out to the participants.
Santosh Das, Jyotirmoy Dash, Imtiaz Ali and Padarabinda Mohanty spoke about the rich cultural heritage of Odisha.
The organisers said their objective is to spread the Odia culture on this foreign land and hoped that their effort would contribute to enhanced interest in Odisha and development of the state.
