New Delhi, January 15:
The World Odisha Society (WOSO), a global organisation committed to the collective welfare of Odias across the world, celebrated its 5th Foundation Day with great enthusiasm at the Civil Services Officers’ Institute, New Delhi. The event, organised in a hybrid format, brought together hundreds of distinguished personalities from Delhi and the National Capital Region, along with Odia leaders and members from different countries joining virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, eminent guests praised WOSO for its outstanding efforts in uniting Odias worldwide on one platform and mobilising their intellectual and material resources for the development of Odisha. The celebration highlighted WOSO’s growing role as the strongest global platform for the Odia diaspora.
In his welcome address, WOSO President Kishore Dwibedi reaffirmed the organisation’s firm commitment to building a “Golden Odisha by 2036.”
General Secretary Shiv Ranjan Biswal, based in Manchester, shared the inspiring journey of WOSO—from members in just 20 countries five years ago to its presence today in 64 countries across the globe.
The event was graced by several eminent personalities including Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, former Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, Khurda MLA Prashant Kumar Jagadev, National President of the Rashtriya Patrakar Mahasangh Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, distinguished diplomat Amarendra Khatua, and senior administrator Sanjeev Pattjoshi, among others. They congratulated WOSO for emerging as a powerful voice of nearly 15 million Odias living outside Odisha and extended their best wishes for its continued growth.
On the occasion, Prof. Ganeshi Lal was honoured with the first ‘Utkal Mitra Samman’ for his deep bond with Odisha.
Renowned cardiologist and Utkal Hospital Chairman Dr. Aditya Kumar Samal received the first ‘Biswa Odia Samman’ for his valuable contributions towards Odias and Odisha’s progress.
The second ‘Pravasi Odia Samman’ was conferred upon Rabinath Pradhan and Pritish Ranjan Das for their dedicated service to the Odia community abroad.
The Posthumous Pravasi Odia Samman was awarded to Late Prof. Dr. Digambar Mishra, received by his wife Jyotsna Mishra.
Several eminent personalities from different walks of life were also conferred with the prestigious ‘Ratnashree’ Award for their outstanding contributions in social, professional, cultural and public service fields.
A special intellectual session titled “Prosperous Odisha: Vision 2036” was held, where experts discussed strategies for building a Golden Odisha by 2036. The discussion featured prominent speakers including MP. Dr Rabindra Narayan Behera, former minister Prasad Harichandan, Ambassador Amarendra Khatua, Dr. Nalini Pati and Soumya Mahapatra, and was moderated by CA Sudhir Kumar Das.
The occasion also saw the release of WOSO’s souvenir “Swarnima”. A vibrant cultural programme added colour to the celebrations, with melodious performances by Anindita Das (Odisha’s Nightingale) and Sudhir Kumar Das, enchanting the audience.
The entire programme was gracefully anchored by Pratima Sharma, while the digital platform was efficiently managed by Nandan Dwibedi and Ankit Maurya.
The grand celebration once again reaffirmed the mission of the World Odisha Society—to unite Odias globally and contribute meaningfully to the progress and pride of Odisha.
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