Bhubaneswar: Fourteen women achievers from distinct categories were felicitated with the Aarya Awards founded by Parichay Foundation on Thursday, marking the International Women’s Day in the Odisha capital. Parichay Foundation, a philanthropic organization is engaged in promoting Indian art and culture and bringing about economic and social upliftment of the underprivileged in urban slums and rural parts of Odisha and New Delhi. The 7th edition of Aarya Awards was held in association with Odisha Tourism Department.
Governor of Odisha, Prof. Ganeshi Lal inaugurated the ceremony. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Priyadarshi Mishra, MLA, Bhubaneswar North were present. This was followed by a panel discussion on a Violence-Free Society for Women. Paramita Satapathy, Income Tax Commissioner and author, Satyajit Mohanty, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar & Cuttack, Usasi Mishra, Odia Actress, and Mohammad Nooruddin Amin, Managing Director & CEO, Adhikar Microfinance were among the speakers.
Address the gathering, Prof. Lal said, “Odisha is a land full of talent. One can find every single aspect of human prosperity in Odisha. He praised Parichay Foundation for its unstoppable journey in the field of women empowerment.”
The awardees included Dr. Chidatmika Khatua and Purabi Patra (Social Work), Dr. Sujata Kar (Medical Science), Paramita Satpathy (Literature), Madhulita Mohapatra and Sumitra Mohapatra (Art & Culture), Arjya Patnaik (Entertainment), Jagruti Mohanty (Media), Madhulika Dash (Unconventional Achievements), Dr. Bhagyashree Singh (NRO), Palak Aggarwal (Entrepreneur), Payal Patel (Social Entrepreneur), Arpita Mohapatra (Sports) and Santoshi Deo in special mention categories.
Founder, Parichay Foundation Rosalin Patasani Mishra said, “Parichay has always stood for women empowerment and Aarya Awards is our tribute to all women who are scripting their own success and inspiring stories from different fields.
An All Women Heritage Walk was also organized at Mukteshwar Temple, Bhubaneswar. In the evening, Odissi exponent Saswat Joshi presented a cultural performance on the theme of tourism.
Parichay Foundation, which has been felicitated by the President of India and recognized by the United Nations for its outstanding work, has been organizing Aarya Awards since 2012. From 2016, Parichay has also started Shrie Awards to acknowledge the achievements of men in various sectors, organizing the award ceremony on the occasion of Father’s Day. Recently, the foundation also launched its pilot project, Alaknanda Scholarship Programme for drop-out girl students across the state.
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