EAM Jaishankar arrives in Bhubaneswar to attend Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday for a five-day visit to Odisha to attend the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will be held here from January 8 to 10.
Jaishankar was welcomed at the Bhubaneswar airport by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CM Pravati Parida, former Union Minister and Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi.
According to the schedule, Jaishankar then proceeded to Eco Retreat at Konark for a night halt and is expected to visit the world-famous Konark Sun Temple on Tuesday morning.
Jaishankar is also likely to visit the 12th-century Jagannath Temple at Puri, the Heritage Crafts Village of Raghurajpur in Puri, Dhauli Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda), and Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. He will attend the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Janata Maidan starting on January 8.
“I am confident that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be celebrated in a grand way. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has told me that all the preparations for the 3-day event have been completed. I hope that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be a grand success in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Jaishankar told media persons on Monday.
With the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being held in the Eastern part of the country for the first time, it reaffirms the Centre’s commitment to advancing its ‘Purvodaya’ project, aimed at the all-round development of the Eastern region, including states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Odisha’s rich mineral and natural resource reserves will significantly contribute to this mission. The state leads in sectors such as mining, iron and steel manufacturing, the marine economy, sports, skilling, and the knowledge economy. Several Indian IT companies have also established bases in the state. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event offers an opportunity to showcase Odisha’s potential to the world.
Like every year, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations in Bhubaneswar from January 8-10 will highlight the vibrancy of the Indian diaspora and their achievements abroad. Exhibitions on the Ramayana, technology, and the diaspora will be organized to spotlight the contributions of the Indian diaspora in promoting Indian culture, values, and ethos abroad.
The Ramayana exhibition will showcase how the epic spread to South-East Asia, where it remains a significant attraction for both locals and foreign tourists.
