Bhubaneswar, 13 April (H.S.): The 78th Capital Foundation Day of Bhubaneswar was celebrated with great enthusiasm and dignity on Monday. Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy attended the programme as the chief guest.
Several dignitaries, including MP Aparajita Sarangi, MLAs Ananta Narayan Jena and Sushant Kumar Rout, Mayor Sulochana Das, and former minister Suresh Kumar Routray were present.
A grand torch procession was taken out from Lingaraj Temple to PMG Square, led by Olympian Dutee Chand and other sportspersons.
The chief guest unfurled the national flag and took the salute at a combined civic parade, in which 51 contingents participated. In the parade competitions, BJB Autonomous College secured first place, followed by Sainik School and Rajdhani College.
Addressing the gathering, Surama Padhy called for accelerating the city’s development, emphasizing that maintaining the dignity of the state capital is a shared responsibility. Mayor Sulochana Das urged citizens to contribute towards making the city clean, green, and sustainable.
Earlier, dignitaries paid floral tributes at the foundation plaque near the Assembly. Notably, Bhubaneswar was established as the capital on April 13, 1948, by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Initially planned for around 40,000 residents, the city has now grown into a modern urban centre with a population exceeding 1.5 million.
A special photo exhibition showcasing Bhubaneswar’s heritage and its evolution into a Smart City was also inaugurated at Jayadev Bhawan, and will remain open to the public till Tuesday.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
