Bhubaneswar: Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created sand art at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar to welcome delegates as Odisha hosts the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
The sand art shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath.
“It is a very significant day for Odisha as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is being celebrated in the sacred place of Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Wherever I visited in the world, people used to ask me about Jagannath temple and also about the art & culture of Odisha. Now, people are coming here and they will witness it by themselves. Different arts and projects are being showcased, my sand art will also be showcased. It’s PM Modi’s idea to organise this event in this state and hence I made a sand art of him and Jagannath Prabhu…” he told the media.
The three-day convention kicked off on Wednesday with Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, whic was inaugurated by Union Ministers S Jaishankar, Mansukh Mandviya, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi at Janata Maidan here.
PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar on January 8 and January 9, respectively, to attend the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, being held in Odisha for the first time.
According to the official schedule, the PM will reach Bhubaneswar airport by a special IAF aircraft at 8 pm on January 8 from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. He will spend the night at Raj Bhavan and formally inaugurate the meet at 10 am on January 9 at Janata Maidan here with around 5,000 NRI in attendance. He is scheduled to leave the city around 11.55 am.
President Murmu’s flight is scheduled to arrive around 4.35 pm.
Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo is expected to join the inaugural event, while President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to attend the valedictory session on January 10 and confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ awards on Indian diaspora for exceptional work in their fields in India and abroad.
PBD commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915. This year’s theme is ‘Diaspora’s contribution to a Viksit Bharat’.
Traffic restrictions
January 8
Airport Square, AG Square, Hospital Square and Left turn Raj Bhawan will be closed from 7.50 pm to 8.20 PM.
On January 9
Raj Bhawan, Power House Square-120 Bn.Square, Behera Sahi Square, Jaydev Vihar Square, Shastri Nagar Square and NALCO square will be shut down from 9.30 am to 10 am.
NALCO Square, Jaydev Vihar Square, Shastri Nagar Square, Shastri Nagar Square-120 Bn Square, Raj Bhawan Square, Airport Square, Power House Square, Xavier Square, Behera Sahi Square and AG Square will close from 11.20 am to 12 noon.
Airport square, AG Square, Hospital Square and left turn Raj Bhawan will be closed from 4.20 pm to 4.50 pm.
January 10
Raj Bhawan, Shastri Nagar Square-Power House Square-120 Bn, Xavier Square, Behera Sahi Square, Xavier Square, NALCO Square and Jaydev Vihar Square will be shut from 11.20 am to 11.50 am.
NALCO Square, Behera Sahi Square, Power House Square, Shastri Nagar Square-120 Bn. Square, Xavier Square, AG Square-Airport Square, Jaydev Vihar Square, Power House Square and Hospital Square will be closed from 4.50 pm to 5.25 pm.
All the emergency vehicles including ambulances and fire trucks are exempted from these restrictions. Commuters have been advised to plan alternate routes during this high-profile event.
