TNI Bureau: Odia Samaj Abu Dhabi (OSA) celebrated “Utkal Divas” with great enthusiasm and grandeur through its annual festival ‘Utkarsha-2026’, showcasing the rich art, vibrant culture, glorious traditions and heritage of Odisha.

The mega cultural event was held at the picturesque Pixoul Auditorium along the coastline of the Arabian Sea in Abu Dhabi. The venue was elegantly decorated for the occasion, creating an atmosphere that reflected the essence of Odisha’s culture and traditions. More than 500 members of the Odia diaspora, including NRIs, NROs, families and well-wishers from different parts of the United Arab Emirates, attended the celebration.

The programme was organised under the leadership of OSA President Sougata Nayak. Indian Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Dr. Deepak Mittal, attended the event as the Chief Guest, while Odisha MLA Sofia Firdous and CEO of LIC International–Middle East Debashish Pattnaik joined as Guests of Honour.

The festival commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries and organisers. Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Dr. Deepak Mittal praised the Odia community for its efforts in preserving and promoting Odia language, Indian culture and traditional values on foreign soil. MLA Sofia Firdous highlighted the historical significance of Utkal Divas and Odisha’s glorious legacy, while Debashish Pattnaik appreciated the elaborate arrangements made for organising the large-scale event.

OSA President Sougata Nayak said the association would continue to organise such cultural programmes and community gatherings in future to strengthen emotional bonding among the Odia diaspora in the UAE. During the event, the 8th edition of OSA’s souvenir magazine ‘Prabasi Utkarsha’ was officially released. OSA Advisor Pradeep Kumar Rath proposed the vote of thanks and recalled Odisha’s rich history, civilisation and cultural heritage.

One of the major attractions of ‘Utkarsha-2026’ was a colourful cultural extravaganza featuring music, dance and entertainment performances by both emerging and established artistes. Performers from OSA captivated the audience with several impressive presentations.

Renowned singers from Odisha, Sashank Sekhar and Diptirekha Padhi, enthralled the audience with their melodious performances, while noted comedian Yogesh Jojo from Sambalpur entertained the packed auditorium with his humorous acts. A fashion show organised under the guidance of fashion designer Deepika Goud, with Swati Das and Shubhra Samal as lead participants, also received appreciation from the audience.

The programme was smoothly coordinated and anchored by Sanjeeb Kumar. The entire event was successfully conducted under the supervision of OSA’s organising team, including advisers Dr. Himanshu Das and Kartik Singh, office-bearers Siddhartha Das, Sukarna Behera, Jitendra Mishra, Sushanta Mahapatra, Chinmaya Nayak, Sambit Kumar Mohanty and other members of the association.

The celebration concluded with guests and participants enjoying authentic Odia cuisine served at the end of the programme.