Hijdas observe Bichera fest

BHUBANESWAR: Hijdas (eunuchs) on Wednesday observed Bichera Mata festival at Vani Vihar Hijda sum in the city. The ceremony was organised by the All Orissa Eunuch Association (AOEA) to accept two new eunuchs Phula Kinnar and Kalpana Kinnar.

According to Hijdas’ believe, they worship the goddess to get respite of their present birth and not to be eunuchs in the next birth. The eunuchs came in a procession from Vani Vihar to Kuakhai River bank and immersed the worshipped Kalash in the river.

Association president Pratap Kumar Sahu, general secretary Anarkali Kinnar, secretary Kali Kinnar, Mamata Gharana Welfare Trust secretary Madhuri Kinnar and around 400 representatives of the community from all over the State attended the function.     

Rajdhani Exp to stop at Jajpur-Keonjhar road

--New AC train between Kamakhya, Yesvantpur

BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of Railways has decided to halt Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road station from this February 15 on an experimental basis for a period of six months.

Rajdhani Express via Adra leaving Bhubaneswar on every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and leaving New Delhi on every Monday, Friday and Sunday will stop at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road. It will arrive at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road at 12.37 pm and will leave at 12.39 pm towards New Delhi. In the return direction, this train will arrive at Jajpur-Keonjhar Road at 2.04 pm and will leave at 2.06 pm towards Bhubaneswar. The timings and stoppages scheduled for this trains at other stations will remain unchanged, said East Coast Railway (ECoR) official sources.

In another announcement, the Ministry has decided for running of a weekly AC Express train between Kamakhya and Yesvantpur through the ECoR jurisdiction. The weekly Express would start running from February 8 from Yesvantpur and February 12 from Kamakhya.

The AC Express will leave Kamakhya at 2 pm on every Wednesday and will arrive at Yesvantpur at 6.30 pm on every Friday. In the return direction, the Express will leave Yesvantpur at 8.30 am on every Saturday and will arrive at Kamakhya at 1.30 pm on every Monday.

Odia poet Haraprasad gets Moorti Devi award

BHUBANESWAR: Odia poet Haraprasad Das bagged the most prestigious literary award of the country ‘26th Moorti Devi Award’ for his contribution to the field of literature. He got the award from Vice President M Hamid Ansari at a function organised by Bharatiya Jnanpith in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The award consists of a Citation and a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh. Ansari congratulated Das for the recognition.

Das, a civil servant in profession, became the second Odia to get the award after Jnanpith Awardee Pratibha Ray.  

He has published until now thirteen volumes of poetry, four volumes of literary criticism and critical thought, one volume of ethnic history, one book of fiction and three works of translation.

NaMo tea stall inaugurated near BJP party office

BHUBANESWAR: As a part of campaign to attract people of the State ahead of February 11 Odisha visit of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (NaMo), BJP’s Bhubaneswar district president Amiya Das on Tuesday inaugurated a NaMo tea stall in front of the State party office here.

The party workers handed out tea cups to visitors to mark the inauguration. At the tea stall, a cup of tea will cost Rs 2. The stall will also provide an opportunity to the visitors to discuss about Modi.

Party leaders including Jagannath Mohanty, Ratikant Das, Dillip Mohanty Simantini Jena and Bijaylaxmi Mohapatra said that about 50 such stalls would be opened in the city before NaMo’s visit.    

Groundbreaking ceremony held for Modi rally

BHUBANESWAR: Groundbreaking ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Baramunda ground for ‘Bijay Sankalp Samabesh’ of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who is visiting the State on February 11.

All the Vedic ritual was conducted at the ground in the presence of BJP leaders including party’s State general secretary Prasanna Mishra, Bhrigu Buxipatra, Amiya Das, Dillip Mohanty and Simantini Jena.  

 

Tatwa Technology celebrates Annual day

BHUBANESWAR: Tatwa Technology Limited, a leading IT company of eastern India, celebrated its 12th Annual day ‘Impulses-2014’ here at Utkal Mandap on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Tatwa Technology managing director Ayaskant Mohanty and CEO Tapendra N Senapati said the company completed 12 years in IT industry. “During this period we can able to grow from a mere three people dream to more than 3500 corporate and we will continue this successful journey,” said the duo.

The event was graced by Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro, Jindal Synfuels Limited managing director Subrata Ratho, Rajib Sahoo of Bank of Baroda and advisor to Hindalco SK Mishra.

Rahul’s show before NaMo’s visit

--Rahul’s two-day Odisha visit on Feb 9, 10

BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the upcoming General Election, the national-level political parties are geared up to woo the voters by addressing them in different public meetings across the country. The two national parties, Congress and BJP, have started their preparations to welcome their top-most leaders in the State to boost the self confidence level of party workers here.

In this way, Congress party has fielded its poster boy Rahul Gandhi to address six different public rallies in the State on February 9 and 10 respectively only a day before BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhubaneswar to address a public rally.

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jaydev Jena on Sunday confirmed the two-day visit of the Gandhi scion, but he didn’t get any confirmation about the places have been recommended by the PCC for approval. Sources said that Rahul would address meetings at Salipur in Cuttack district, Duburi in Jajpur district, Khariar Road in Nuapada district, Bisam Katak in Rayagada district and Brahmapur in Ganjam district.

Jena further said that All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi would also visit the State and would address the mass in Kalahandi in the last week of February to add colour into the show started by Rahul.

Political analysts say that it is a desperate attempt of the party to create Congress ripple before NaMo’s wave touches the voters. When Modi’s visit was set a few months ago, Rahul’s visit plan is a few days affair strengthens the people’s belief regarding Congress’s desperate attempt.

Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police led by Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma have started their security checkups and have reviewed traffic management ahead of Modi’s convention at Baramunda ground here.