Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 13: The Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has inaugurated a pitha parlour at Panthanivas in the capital Saturday ahead of the Raja festival to give people a taste of the culture and tradition of the state.
This is in line with the practice of the previous years when OTDC opened pitha parlours in 10 cities of the state ahead of Raja festival.
Ten varieties of pitha are available at the stall, which was inaugurated by OTDC director Anil Samant.
Of the goodies on offer, poda pitha costs Rs 250 per kg, muga bundi costs Rs 200 per kg, and other pithas such as kakara, manda, arisha pitha and dahi vada cost Rs10. A pitha basket containing one piece of each variety will cost around Rs 80.
“Raja utsav is a major festival of the Orissa, an age old tradition that has almost lost its glory in the cities. To keep it alive, every year we organise three-day festivals in Panthanivas of different cities. We have made such arrangements in 10 cities, where we have also made arrangements for swings,” said Samant.
The department is organising three-day Raja festivals from June 13 to 15 in 10 Panthanivas, including those of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Barkul, Rourkela, Paradeep, Chandipur, Konark and Gopalpur.
In 2014, OTDC generated around Rs 3,75,000 revenue from the sale of the pithas. “This year, too, we are expecting a high sale. The foreign tourists are the main purchasers in Puri, Konark and Gopalpur. Many local customers order pithas in advance. The sale is not the only thing. Our main motive is to popularise Oriya culture among tourists,” he said.
The Panthanivas of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack had a huge profit compared to other cities. This year also the employees are expecting a bumper sale.
“Last year, I had purchased pithas from OTDC which all my family members loved. This year I am placing an advance order for various pithas such as kakara, arisha and poda pitha, which take a lot of time to make. It is not that we have stopped making pithas at home. However, lack of time forces us to look for easy options,’ said Sanghamitra Sahoo, who stays near Kalpana.
