BHUBANESWAR: Rains notwithstanding, people across the state celebrated World Pakhala Divas with much enthusiasm on Wednesday. The day was marked by ‘pakhala’ feasts and festivals.
In twin city, people and several organisations organised community ‘pakhala’ feasts, hotels launched ‘pakhala’ festivals, while social media platforms were busy with a large number of people posting pictures of their ‘pakhala pasara’.
Governor Raghubar Das and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wished people on the occasion and expressed their love for the humble dish. Stating ‘pakhala’ always had a special place in Odia food scene, Naveen wrote that Odias’ relationship with ‘pakhala’ is very old and it is a unique identity of the Odia food diversity. “Like every Odia, pakhala is my favourite,” he wrote. The chief minister had in 2018 hosted ‘pakhala’ lunch for national leaders like the then President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, BJP veteran LK Advani and CPI(M) stalwart Sitaram Yechury at his residence.
Similarly, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday posted pictures of him having ‘pakhala’ with Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Hairvansh, chairman of National Monuments Authority Kishore Basa and former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu on X. “One of the favourite foods of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Pakhala is not just a soul food but an integral part of Odisha’s cultural identity and culinary heritage. Glad that more and more people are discovering the health benefits of this indigenous Odia delicacy and making it a part of their diet,” he wrote on the platform.
Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar also took to X to spread the word on Pakhala. “The much celebrated Pakhala Divas is a humble ode to this simple, yet potent dish that’s an elixir for the scorching summer heat,” he wrote.
The initiative of observing March 20 as World Pakhala Divas was started in 2015 by a group of Odias to popularise the traditional food of the state worldwide.