Bhadrak: The Odia Wikimedians User Group hosted a lively gathering to celebrate the 13th anniversary of Wikidata, the Wikimedia Foundation’s collaborative knowledge base launched in 2012. The event, held at the residence of local contributor Sangram Keshari Senapati, highlighted the project’s role in building a free, machine- and human-readable database that interconnects Wikimedia initiatives worldwide.
Attendees included prominent members of the Odia Wikipedia community, such as Sangram Keshari Senapati, Chirashree Chinmayee Chaine, Bichitrananda Jena, and Monalisa Sahu. The group reflected on their longstanding involvement with Wikidata since its inception, emphasizing contributions that extend beyond Odia content to other Indic languages.
Sangram Keshari Senapati, an administrator for Odia Wikisource, praised the milestone: “We, the Odia Wikimedians, have been involved with Wikidata since its inception, and one of our administrators, Mr. Mrutyunjaya Kar, has done an outstanding job not only for Odia or Odisha-related topics, but also for other Indic languages. With over 200K edits on Wikidata, Mr. Kar has created a variety of dashboards for Odia, English, and other Indian language Wikipedia. It is an occasion to commemorate the 13-year journey.”
Monalisa Sahu, who joined the Wikimedia movement in 2023, shared her enthusiasm: “I have been involved with the movement since 2023. It’s a joy to meet the other contributors and celebrate a happy moment here.”
In addition to the birthday festivities, the User Group expressed gratitude to Sangram Keshari Senapati for his remarkable achievements, including completing the #100wikidays challenge and spearheading new Wikidata projects. Senapati boasts over 400,000 edits on the platform, with recent efforts focused on enriching Odia cultural heritage by adding entries for music albums, Jatra parties, Jatra actors, and traditional plays. These initiatives are expected to significantly boost visibility and growth for Odia Wikipedia in the coming years.
The celebration underscores the dedication of Odisha’s Wikimedia volunteers in preserving and expanding free knowledge, fostering collaborations that bridge local traditions with global open-source efforts.