Bhubaneswar: For the first time ever, the Sambalpuri Day was celebrated in the capital city, here Wednesday.
Members of Western Odisha Yuva Mancha (WOYM), a cultural outfit, took out a motorcycle rally which witnessed a participation of around 200 bikers.
The rally started from Master Canteen square at 8:30 AM and ended by 10:30 AM at DAV Public School, Unit-8.
Convener of the Manch, Ajit Kumar Pati, said, “We organised this rally to showcase and promote Sambalpuri culture, language and its tradition.”
Heaping praises on Sambalpuri culture including Sambalpuri dance, songs and attires, Pati exclaimed, “We are Dil Se Sambalpuria!” which translates to— we are residents of Sambalpur by heart.
Subhendu Kumar Panda, a member of WOYM, said, “Sambalpuri Day is being observed for years to pay tribute to the great soul of Late Satya Narayan Bohidar on his birthday.”
Bohidar was a teacher in the Chandrasekher Behera Zilla school and had written many Sambalpuri poems which became popular in no time. “He is an eminent personality in the Sambalpuri art and culture,” Panda added.
The rally saw a huge support from the masses and western Odisha students from several educational institutes namely Utkal University, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), and several city-based medical and engineering colleges.
Meanwhile, a video, elucidating about the day was uploaded on YouTube and featured several Sambalpuri artistes dancing to traditional Sambalpuri music.
