Odisha govt calls for ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ singing on Feb 3

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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged all Odias, residing in the state, in country or abroad to participate in singing ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ at 11:30 am on February 3. This call was made during a press conference by the Odia Language, Literature & Culture (OLLC) department, attended by minister Ashwini Patra, information and public relations department secretary Sanjay Singh and OLLC secretary Sujata K Rout. The government plans to organise gatherings at the panchayat and block levels to celebrate this occasion.

Rout said the initiative is part of the first Odisha Bhasha Sammilani (Odia Language Conference) aimed at connecting the younger generation with the Odia language. The conference, scheduled for February 3 to 5, will feature 16 academic sessions covering various topics related to Odia language, literature, and cultural heritage. International scholars and nationally renowned figures, including Prof Herman Kulke, Prof Uwe Skoda, Prof Arlo Griffiths, Prof Annette Achmiedchen, will participate.

The event will include a special session on Jagannath consciousness and discussions on the future aspects and opportunities for Odia language under the theme ‘Odisha @2036: A Space for Tomorrow.’ The Odisha government has also planned to host programmes in all districts, making this conference a significant celebration of Odia’s antiquity and continuity as one of India’s six classical languages.