City of temples welcomes NRIs: Bhubaneswar rolls out red carpet for 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], January 7 (ANI): Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, is all set to host the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2025, with several content creators and overseas Indians invited to participate in the event.
The city has been decked up to welcome the guests, with participants expressing their excitement and eagerness to explore India and connect with their roots.
Amit Kumar Senapathy said that he has been travelling all over the world and being a native of Odisha, he feels like a winner already.
"I have been travelling all over the world for the last 11 to 12 years. With respect to coming here, this was an organization, a contest that was sponsored by the Government of India and luckily we are part of that and we are very fortunate that we got an opportunity to come here and meet the people and also to look into the beautiful state of Odisha. We are from Odisha only, so that is something good- coming back and meeting the people and these are the people who are going to make us throughout the places. So looking forward to it. Seeing that the event is happening in Odisha makes me feel like I have become a winner. I can look into the airport the whole place is decked up and it's looking beautiful and even the ambience and everything it looks so beautiful," he told ANI.
The 5th Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz was held from 11 November - 11 December 2024. The quiz is an endeavour of the Government of India to strengthen connection with the Indian Diaspora, particularly the youth, and also to engage foreigners who are keen to learn about India.
The online quiz was conducted under two categories: i) Non-Resident Indians and ii) Persons of Indian Origin / Foreign nationals, aged between 14-50 years. In total, 1,08,876 people from 203 countries and territories participated in the quiz. Thirty winners of the quiz - 15 from each category - have been invited to visit India on Bharat Ko Janiye Yatra (Know India Tour) from 8-21 January 2025.
Rashmita Senapati, another participant of the PBD, told ANI that she was excited to explore the country as a part of this visit.
"For the last 11 years, I've been living in Africa, South Africa, and now we have come from Nigeria. I work for a proctech firm which is based in London. And I came to know about Bharat ko Janiye as a reference from my husband. So we played the quiz. And while playing the quiz, we were pretty excited. And because this time, there was and all metrics were there. So we were like we cracked 30 questions. I cracked 30 questions in 102 seconds. So I was kind of sure that I will crack it. And when the call from High Commission Nigeria came, it was a very exciting moment for me. I am very excited because I've gone through the agenda. The leaders who run the nation are going to join the convention. They are also taking us to the best places in India, Taj Mahal, as well. So Konark also in Odisha is one of the high points. So I am very, very excited and looking forward to it," she told ANI.
Shami from Mauritius said that she was very keen to learn more about the culture of India through the event.
"It's my first time and I'm very happy to be here and to connect as well. So I'm very excited to be here. I'm super keen to learn more about this and to share with other people around the world who came just for this occasion," he said.
Nishibihari from Mauritius told ANI that as her grandparents were from India and they moved to Mauritius, she has been very rooted in India's culture.
"I'm a producer, actor-comedian, content creator as well. And it's my utmost pleasure to be here for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. I'm very eager to share all these with my audience and with you people because maybe I will be experiencing new things here with you. And I'm very eager. My grandparents were from India so they took the boat and they came to Mauritius to work India has always been very close to my heart because till now religious wise, culture-wise, the way I dress myself is very connected to here," she said.
Damien, from Mauritius, who works for Nishibihari, said that he was proud to be there.
"I'm a video and film producer. I'm also a content creator for influencer marketing people. I produce Nishibiari, who is the number one influencer person in Mauritius. We are very proud to be here. It's a real honour for the first time we are coming to India, meeting you at this amazing event," he said.
Aman Haider, a poet living in Dubai, said that he has been attending all the events of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas of its previous editions.
"I have been living in Dubai for the last 15 years. Every time Parvatiye Bharatiya calls us on the day, we run and come. I am very excited. We are always excited to come to our country, to our soil. Whenever there is a new place in two years, we feel that India is so big. I think our president, Abul Kalam, said that he will go out only when he can travel all over India. We are also like that. I have also come to Odisha for the first time. I am going to stay in Rishikesh. The thing is that the soil of the country is calling us," he said.
The India visit of the winners will start from Odisha where they will participate in the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Bhubaneswar from 8-10 January 2025. The visit affords the winners an opportunity to experience and deepen their understanding of India's heritage, culture and contemporary developments.
The 18th PBD aims to strengthen ties between India and its diaspora community, with a focus on cultural exchange, business networking, and knowledge sharing.
The event has attracted participants from around the world, including content creators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.
With its rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality, Bhubaneswar is all set to make the 18th PBD a memorable experience for all participants. (ANI)