Puri: The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is going to start in Bhubaneswar of Odisha from today. It will continue till January 10. The NRIs who have already reached Odisha to attend the PBD are visiting Puri. The Pravasi Bharatiyas (NRIs) are visiting the famous Lord Jagannath temple in Puri. They have expressed their happiness after getting darshan of Lord Jagannath and siblings, Mahalakshmi temple, Maa Vimala temple and Parsva Devadevis. Many of them have visited the temple even for the first time. They have thanked the central and state governments for organizing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha. They have appreciated the traditions and art of Odisha. The Pravasi Indians who have come to the temple are welcomed by the temple administration. On the other hand, the beach festival has been organized at the beach in Puri for the NRIs and residents of Puri. This festival has been organised to provide a complete range of entertainment to the NRIs and to give them a pleasant experience about the culture, tradition and heritage of Odisha. Deputy Chief Minister Parvathy Parida inaugurated it. On the first day, along with a fascinating drone show, Ollywood singers performed songs. They mesmerized the audience with hit Odia, Sambalpuri and Hindi songs one after the other.The NRIs who have come to attend the PBD are scheduled to have darshan of Mahaprabhu at the Shrimandir and visit the Blue Flag Beach, Satapada, Ramchandi, Konark, Raghurajpur etc. For this, sand art, flower exhibition, food fair, kite festival, beach sports, Pallishri Mela and cultural programs have been organized at the Golden Beach. Along with the kite festival, a flower show has been organized at Gandhi Park, an art festival at Niladri Beach, and Pallishri Mela and beach sports have been organized by ORMAS.
