Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stressed the value of upholding Odia pride and identity during the state-level festivities on the occasion of Utkal Divas. Acknowledging the historical significance of the day in 1936 when Odisha became the first language-based state in India, he emphasized the visionaries’ unwavering efforts and selfless sacrifices that made the state possible, including those of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu, Parla Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayana Dev, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Pandit Godabarish Mishra, and Maharaja Harihara Mardaraj, among others.
Patnaik honored these notable individuals and recognized their critical influence in determining the future of the state. In addition, he mentioned how the efforts of Odias living overseas had led to the classical position of the Odia language and the global flowering of Odisha art and culture.
The Chief Minister also urged everyone to band together in order to defend the integrity and dignity of the state, highlighting Odisha’s history of fostering love, peace, and goodwill throughout the world. Information and Public Relations Minister Pradip Kumar Amat, Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary of the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, Principal Secretary of the Department of Information and Public Relations Sanjay Kumar Singh, and other high-ranking officials were present at the program.
