The celebration of Odia New Year was marred due to the coronavirus threat on Monday.
"On the Odia New Year, Odia people sing, dance, make resolutions and visit temples. Meetings and seminars are held. But the coronavirus has dampened the festive mood of Odia people," said Utkal Sammilani Manchshwar Industrial Estate Branch president Dillip Dashsharma in a statement.
He informed that he conducted a puja at home and prayed to Lord Jagannath for the wellbeing of all Odia people.
Branch advisor Dr Dwaraka Nath Mohanty, secretary Gobinda Chandra Subudhi and joint-secretaries Sidharth Sankar Gadanayak, Er Shiba Prasad Mishra and Kshetra Mohan Nayak too celebrated the New Year at their houses.