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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the Odisha Parba-2026 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium along with Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi and described the community living in the national capital as her "extended family".
Addressing the gathering on Saturday, the Chief Minister extended her heartfelt greetings to the Odia community and appreciated the event as a vibrant celebration of Odisha's rich culture, traditions and faith. Gupta said it is a matter of great pride and happiness that the culture, art, music, dance and traditions of Odisha are being presented in such a grand manner in the national capital Delhi. "Every Odia family living in Delhi is still deeply connected to its roots, its cultural heritage and its motherland Odisha," she said. According to a press release, Gupta congratulated the organisers for this grand event and said that Odisha Parba, which has been continuously organised since 2017, completed a glorious journey of almost a decade. "Every Odia family living in Delhi eagerly waits for this festival throughout the year because this festival is not only a celebration of culture but also an important medium of connecting people with their traditions and identity," she said. She said it is a matter of great fortune for her that she got the opportunity to address her Odia family settled in Delhi, like her extended family, from this platform. "Such cultural events further strengthen the spirit of India's diversity and unity," she said. Sharing her experience, the CM said she had the special fortune that when she was given the responsibility to serve as the Chief Minister of Delhi, she first went to Odisha and visited Lord Jagannath. She also participated devotedly in the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and in the sacred ritual of 'Chhera Pahanra' while following the traditions of that yatra. The Chief Minister said that about 15 lakh people in Delhi are connected to Odisha, and this is the speciality of this metropolis that people of every state and every culture of the country live together here. "Delhi welcomes everyone with an open heart and assures every citizen that this city is their own," she said. She assured people living in Odisha that their family members here are safe and the Delhi government takes full care of their every need and concern. She also said that the Delhi government organised Utkal Diwas at the government level in a grand manner for the first time and honoured the people of the community. (ANI)
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