The traditional Raja festival was celebrated with much gaiety and fervour by a slew of organisations, including Prayas, Maharsi Dayananda Service Mission, Zilla lekhak Sansad and Mayur.
Attending the Raja festival as chief guest, which was organised by Prayas at Ranja High School, former Union Minister KP Singh Deo along with his wife Savitri Devi expressed his pleasure over the culture-loving nature of the denizens. He advised people to keep up the spirit and not allow the tradition and culture of the Odias to become distinct memories. Among others, former Minister Nabin Chandra Narayandas, poet Pankajini Das and former Youth Congress president Sunil Das participated.
The Maharsi Dayananda Service Mission held the festival by hanging swings on its premises. Jumbo size Poda Pithas were prepared, each weighing one quintal. Additional District Magistrate of Dhenkanal Susama Rani Devi joined the festival as Chief Guest. Dhenkanal Zilla lekhak Sansad celebrated the Raja Mahotsav with swing playing on the Sandilya Bhawan premises. It was attended by many members of the organisation, besides guests and invitees. Similarly, Mayur organized many cultural programmes to mark the occasion.