Bhubaneswar: The Capital city observed its 74th foundation day with pomp and ceremony Wednesday.
The state government and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation are organising a three-day long progamme to observe the special occasion. The authorities and the citizens could not observe the capital foundation day ceremony in full scale in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The state government Wednesday organised a special event at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here as part of the capital foundation day celebration. Odisha Assembly speaker Surjya Narayan Patro graced the occasion as the chief guest.
“The city’s population was around 14,000 at the time of its foundation. Now, the size of the population has reached 14 lakh. The population will go up further in the coming days. So, we should work together to make Bhubaneswar the best city of the country,” Patro said.
On the occasion, altogether 13 eminent personalities from different walks of life were felicitated with Rajdhani Gourav Samman 2022.
Students from various schools and colleges in the city took part in a civilian parade on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg to celebrate the occasion. Various departments of the state government have lined up a host of events to observe the capital foundation day, sources said.
The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, had laid the foundation stone for the city April 13, 1948. It’s one of the first planned cities of modern India, designed by German architect Otto Konigsberger in 1946. The city has come a long way since then.
The Temple city, with several ancient temples, has gradually transformed into Smart City over the years. It has also become a hub for sports, higher education, modern healthcare and information technology.