The eighth weekly edition of Raahgiri organised here on this Sunday witnessed an unusual visitor, Member of the British House of lords Baroness Julia Neuberger, who was mighty pleased with the spirit of the unique event as she had not seen anything like this even in cities like london.
“I would be happy if an event like this to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) could be initiated in london,” the Baroness observed.
With every passing week, the turnout and activities at the Raahgiri event are increasing on the stretch from Master Canteen Square to Ram Mandir Square here. As per a rough estimate, around 60,000 people turned up at the event this time.
The visitors witnessed a carnival organised by Humara Bachpan, a city-based child-centric social service organisation. It also organised a rally by the kids from different corners of the capital to spread the message on how to make the city pollution-free. A song-and-dance programme was also part of the celebration in which slum kids displayed their abilities in a finely choreographed event.
The day was also marked as Dentists’ Day by interesting displays and street plays by the Indian Dental Association (IDA), an umbrella organisations of all dentists of the region.
Members of the local IDA from different BDS and MDS colleges in the Twin Cities and nearby organised the event to spread awareness on basic oral hygiene and preventive dental care.
A huge roadside art involving vegetables by a city-based charitable organisation also attracted public gaze.
Ahead of the World Kidney Day on March 10, the Utkal Kidney Foundation held an awareness drive under the guidance of nephrologist Dr Nisith Kumar Mohanty.
During the event, well-known Odishi dancer Kumkum Mohanty, MP Prasanna Patsani, MlAs Sashi Bhusan Behera, Bijay Mohanty and Priyadarshi Mishra, Bhubaneswar Municiapl Corporation (BMC) Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and Municipal Commissioner Krishan Kumar were present.
Notably, Raahgiri is celebrated on Janpath every Sunday to spread not only NMT, but also to make people aware of their rights over the road and to promote walking, cycling and sports to make them fit and healthy as the city is rapidly moving towards a fast-growing metro.