PathaUtsav II focuses Khadi, Hockey, Mo Cycle to attract visitors

Bhubaneswar:More than 20,000 enthusiastic early risers thronged the second PathaUtsav for the .FEST (Bhubaneswar City Festival) on the streets of Janpath today.

PathaUtsav – Temple City’s popular cultural street extravaganza,witnessed visitors participating in the activities centered on the concept of non-motorised transport (NMT), healthy lifestyle and people’s ownership over roads.

Today’s PathaUtsav was themed around celebrating Khadiand Cottage Industries. The Khadi and Cottage Industries Corporation took part in showcasing their rich heritage to the public near their campus. The showcase included live traditional spinning, traditional weaving, machine spinning, potter’s wheel, the traditional method of oil pressing (Ghani), apiculture and tie & dye methods used by traditional weavers of Odisha to create beautiful fabrics, popular across the globe.

While the breathtaking performance of Prince Dance Group was also a centre of attraction, songs by Rosalin Sahu also stole the hearts at the street festival of the Temple City .

Among other prominent attractions at PathaUtsav today, there was a beautiful street mural created by artists from Nirmala Kruti Bikas Trust (NKBT) which hadthe flags of 16 nations participating in the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup – 2018 displayed through a beautiful `rangoli’.

Dillip Patnaik, from NKBT said, “Today’s tribute in `rangoli’ is a grand tribute to the spirit of hockey and the state’s contribution towards the growth, popularity and spread of the game in every nook and corner of Odisha. We also painted a `rangoli’ portrait of our Honorable Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in order to highlight his contribution and vision towards creating popularity for the game.’’

Other attractions on Janpath during the day was the cycles deployed at “Mo Cycle’’ stall, which attracted huge footfall and people from all age groups used the service of “Mo Cycle’’ and enjoyed their rides along the prescribed pathways.

Participants also took part in other street activities like football and hockey along the Janpath between Master Canteen Square and especially students from Sports Hostel Kalinga Stadium also took part and displayed their skills.

Health camps were organized by AYUSH wing of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha. The AYUSH wing also displayed common medicinal plants for the awareness among the visitors to PathaUtsav.

Art and objects of use on day-to-day basis, produced from waste papers and old newspapers were displayed along with their making techniques in PathaUtsav and that also attracted people. The potter’s wheel at Khadi stall also attracted people’s gaze and participation. PathaUtsav is the city’s initiative to connect its citizens and neighbourhoods and the response to its re-launch was incredible. It is scheduled to take place on December  16.