Bhubaneswar: India along with several countries across the world celebrated the 9th anniversary of Art of Giving (AOG), an initiative of founder of KIIT and KISS Prof Achyuta Samanta to promote an equitable and harmonious relationship in the society. The theme of this year’s celebration was hope-harmony-happiness.
Speaking at a function organised on the occasion on Tuesday, Prof Samanta said the AOG has transformed into a people’s movement, bringing hope and happiness to millions, especially those living on the margins of society. “Our objective is to spread the message of peace and happiness. We want to make it a universally accepted belief through the UN proclamation, he said.
He hoped that next anniversary of AOG will be celebrated as a UN proclaimed day, much like how the world celebrates June 21 as UN proclaimed International Yoga Day.
Taking the audience back to 2013 when AOG was conceptualised, Prof Samanta recalled how the idea crossed his mind. While going to Bengaluru from the airport, he felt that the achievements that have come his way were all because of compassion exhibited by way of giving out to the society.
“I immediately called up some close friends and shared about AOG philosophy. They were ecstatic with the idea,” Prof Samanta said adding that from conceptualisation stage to finalising AOG took them about six months and since then AOG has taken a universal appeal.
As many as 15 places in Bangladesh observed the day while 30 more events were organised in Delhi. Besides, every panchayat across Odisha celebrated the occasion in its unique way.
Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal hailed the initiative of Prof Samanta and said his noble cause transcends all barriers and touches every soul in the society irrespective of caste, creed or religion. “There is no difference between the commoner and the cosmos and that is the quality of AOG,” he said.
Swami Sivachidananda Saraswati, secretary, Sivananda Centenary Boys’ School, Bhubaneswar, said their Guruji Swami Shivananda was always giving something or other to anyone, who approached him. “In fact, we were calling our Guru ‘Givanand’. Today I have found the second ‘Givanand’ in Prof Samanta.” he said.
Baba Ram Narayan Das, founder president, Ram Temple, Bhubaneswar, observed that by arranging more than 1 lakh meals in a day to over 30,000 inmates of KISS and family members of more than 10,000 families of KIIT and KISS universities, Prof Samanta is not only doing a yeoman service to the society but also spreading the message of Art of Giving.
Niranjan Rath, president of Servants of People’s Society (Odisha branch) and publisher of vernacular daily ‘Samaja’, also spoke.
The Governor felicitated young environmentalist Subhransu Satapathy, lady mortician Riturani Sasmal, ASHA health worker Babita Natha, Silu Nayak, who is training youth for Army examinations in Jagatsinghpur, and golden grass designer and entrepreneur Usharani Naik from Mayurbhanj with ‘Art of Giving Award- 2022’ for their contribution to the society.
