Abu Dhabi (Odisha Tazanews) :- Odia Samaj Abu Dhabi (OSA) celebrated “Utkal Divas” recently with much pomp, myriad splendour and massive fanfare. Entitled as Utkarsha-2026 the annual Festival of OSA was creatively crafted to showcase the rich art, vibrant culture, lofty tradition and proud heritage of Odisha.
The Mahakumbha of Odia Diaspora was held at the picturesque “Pixoul” auditorium located along the serene and sublime coastline of Arabian Sea in Abu Dhabi. The Festival venue was aesthetically and elegantly decked up befitting to the grand occasion.
Agog with festive fervour the entire ambience took the shape of a miniature Odisha. The much awaited Mega Ceremony evoked unusual interest, unexpected enthusiasm and unprecedented excitements both among the organisers and invitees.
Leading NRIs, Prominent NROs, members of OSA along with their families, relatives and well-wishers numbering more than five hundred from various parts of the United Arab Emirates gathered here to take part in the glittering Gala Jamboree.
Organized under the stewardship of OSA President Sougata Nayak, His Excellency Dr. Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to UAE was the Chief Guest, Odisha MLA Hon’ble Sofia Firdous and CEO of LIC International-Middle east Debashish Pattnaik were the Guests of honour during the Function.
The Festival commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Invited Guests and Hosts. Addressing the gathering Dr. Mittal profusely praised the noble efforts of the Odia community in preserving, promoting and popularising Odia language, Indian ancient culture and ethnic traditions on foreign soil.
Smt Firdous in her speech highlighted the historical significance of Utkal Divas and the pride of possessions of Odisha. Shri Pattnaik lauded the elaborate arrangements made by Odia community in organising the Show of such a large scale.
OSA President Sougata Nayak informed that many more such cultural events and community gatherings would be organized in the future to strengthen the emotional bonding among the Odia diaspora based in the UAE.8th edition of OSA’s souvenir Prabasi Utkarsha was officially released during the occasion.
Recalling the golden history, glorious legacy and Great civilisation of Odisha, Advisor of OSA Pradeep Kumar Rath proposed vote of thanks. The special attraction of Utkarsha-2026 was the presentation of a colourful cultural extravaganza by both upcoming and established artistes.
The evening featured a beautiful blend of music, dance and literature. In-house artists of OSA mesmerized the audiences with their number of outstanding performances. Renowned vocalists from Odisha Sashank Sekhar and Diptirekha Padhi thoroughly enthralled the listeners by their several soulful and scintillating musical numbers.
Noted comedian from Sambalpur Yogesh Jojo entertained the jam packed crowds with his numerous fun filled articulations. To viewers delight a captivating fashion show was also held under the guidance of famous fashion designer Deepika Goud with Swati Das and Shubhra Samal as lead participants.
Ace anchor Sanjeeb Kumar co-ordinated and presented the proceedings of the programme in a smooth and seamless manner. The entire arrangements of Utkarsha-2026 was successfully conducted under the able and active supervision of OSA’s superbly skilled organising team consisting of advisers Dr. Himanshu Das,
Kartik Singh, office bearers Siddhartha Das, Sukarna Behera, Jitendra Mishra, Sushanta Mahapatra, Chinmaya Nayak,Sambit Kumar Mohanty, T. Kesava Rao, members Sumit Kumar Panda,Bahni Prava Rath, Archana Nayak,Shubhra Samal,
Shipra Das, Asmita Patel, Subodh Kumar Sahu, Pradeep Kumar Sahu, Biswaranjan Jena, and Dilip Kumar Nayak. The guests and participants thoroughly enjoyed the authentic and delicious Odia cuisine served at the conclusion of the meeting.
