By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Thousands of people, mostly Oriyas, came together to celebrate their ethnic culture through seminars and workshops at a two-day event held in New Jersey, US, according to reports reaching here.
The Orissa Society of the Americas (OSA) organised its 40th Annual Convention July 3-4 at the Patriots Theatre at the War Memorial & Marriott Hotel, Trenton, New Jersey.
“Thousands of people of Orissa origin across North America joined this fun-filled two-day event to celebrate the culture, ethnicity and their existence in America,” Dhirendra Kar, former vice-president of OSA, told IANS over phone from the US.
“The event was packed with seminars, symposiums, workshops, round table conferences and mentorships followed by a cultural extravaganza,” he said.
The inauguration was followed by a presentation by more than 40 participants showcasing their talents in a Broadway-like musical filled with traditional and modern dance forms.
The convention theme was “Saata Daria Pare” or ‘Across the seven seas’.
“The songs were nicely choreographed by Sikandar and Nazia Alam depicting the pledge these oriyas have taken to preserve their culture in this faraway land,” Kar said.
The programme also included various classical and ethnic dance forms of Orissa, including Odissi, Sambalpuri, Ghoda (horse) dance, Paika Naacha (martial art dance form), and many forms of tribal dances.
“‘Mahanadi to Mississippi’ episode showed that the tradition was still alive far from the motherland. It showed a convergence of both cultures,” he said.
“The depiction of epic Oriya story ‘Kaali Jaai’ moved the crowd. Other cultural items included live performances from Baboo Panigrahi, classical Oriya songs including Champu and Chhanda, drama and dance competitions,” he added.
There were 45 speakers who discussed various topics relevant to American Oriyas.
“There were over 40 unique dishes from different cuisines,” he added.
OSA is a non-profit umbrella organization of Oriyas living in North America. This convention takes place during the July 4 weekend every year.
The convention was organised by New York and New Jersey chapter of the organisation.