Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged the organisations of Odias in as least 22 countries to celebrate Pakhala Dibasa on March 20 with enthusiasm to popularise the quintessential dish of the state.
In a letter to outfits of people from Odisha residing in different countries, Director of Culture and ‘Odisha Paribar’ Bijay Ketan Upadhayay stated that Pakhala Dibasa is celebrated on March 20 every year across the state.
The letter has been addressed to presidents and secretaries of organisations of people from Odisha in countries such as the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, United Kingdom, West Africa, Saudi Arabia and Quatar.
Describing Pakhala as a special identity of the people of Odisha, he said those staying abroad must play a significant role in putting this unique dish on the global map by celebrating the day in a big way in these countries.
Besides celebrating the day in a special way, these outfits have been urged to post photos and videos of the events on their social media accounts and tag the department too.
Notably, Pakhala Dibasa is being observed since 2015 on March 20 to celebrate the favourite summer dish of fermented rice in Odisha. It is also a time-tested recipe to beat the scorching summer heat. The quintessential Odia dish of pakhala is savoured with a platter of vegetarian and non-veg side dishes.
