Expatriates from Odisha organized a grand celebration in the Saudi capital on Friday to popularize the ethos, art and culture of the eastern Indian state. The eighth annual celebrations were held under the banner of Riyadh Odisha Socio-Cultural Association (ROSA) with a variety of events including speeches, prize draws, felicitations and cultural programs. The chief guest on the occasion was Dr. Dev Mohanty, an internationally established entrepreneur, dedicated social activist and philanthropist from Odisha. Utkal Jyoti Dr. Mohanty congratulated all members of ROSA for serving the Odiya people, nurturing the talents of children and spreading the goodwill of Odisha in a foreign land. In his welcome speech, ROSA President Dr. Mohammad Fazal Haque explained the organization's mission to make Odisha visible to the rest of the world. He emphasized the need to spread positive news about Odisha, highlighting the progress being achieved by the state in all fronts under the stable government of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. ROSA Advisor, Mohd. Shamsher Ali introduced the chief guest and ROSA founding members. He also briefed the audience on smart city technology in which the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar is No.1. A souvenir was released to commemorate the occasion under the coordination of Cultural Secretary Ajeem Uddin and Media Secretary Anwar Tarafdar. The lighting of the candle was coordinated by Deepa, Bhavna, Binita and Mumtaz. ROSA General Secretary Saroj Panigrahi read out the organization's annual report. Vice President Raziq Wakil outlined the progress achieved by ROSA over the years. Vice President Debashis Rout gave the vote of thanks. The entire members of the executive committee and their families put in the best efforts to make the evening a memorable one. The program was anchored by ROSA girls Shafaq and Manahil under the able guidance of Bilquiss Ali. The program was also attended by Umakanta Padhi,Mustafa Baig and S. Ram with their families, members of Utkalika — the Odiya association in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The center of attraction was the cultural program masterminded by ROSA's cultural secretary Azeemuddin Khan with deputy secretary Prabir Das and a dedicated team of supporters. ROSA children and elders presented excellent dance performances, which were choreographed by Deepa Panigrahi, Chandana Das, Bhavna Rout and Bilquis Ali. The cultural program was ably anchored by Vivek Silla, Bhavna, Chandana and others. The evening came to a close with a raffle draw co-hosted by Razik and Kalim and a sumptuous dinner and snacks arranged by Vivek Silla. Discipline in the auditorium was maintained by sports secretary Simanchal and Srinivas.
