Bhubaneswar: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced that her government will celebrate the upcoming ‘Utkal Divas’ (Odisha Day) in a grand manner in the national capital. Utkal Divas, also known as Odisha Day, is celebrated on April 1 every year to commemorate the formation of the State of Odisha. On this day in 1936, Odisha was carved out as a separate province from Bihar and Orissa province under British rule, based on linguistic identity.

While extending greetings to the Odia people here and those living in Delhi on upcoming Utkal Divas on April 1, Gupta said, “This time, the Delhi government will celebrate the Odisha Day with much fanfare in the national capital.” She said Odia families residing in the national capital are working hard for the development of Delhi. “I would like to say that they are an integral part of Delhi and I assure them that the government of Delhi always stands by them and the government is committed to work for their development,” Gupta said.

Gupta met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday. “Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan today,” Odisha CMO said in a post on X.

The Delhi Chief Minister visited Shree Jagannath temple in Puri on Saturday accompanied by Puri MP Sambit Patra, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandran and offered prayers to the deities.

“Jai Jagannath, I had the opportunity to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath at Puri temple. I prayed to Mahaprabhu that under the leadership of Modi Ji, Delhi and the country should reach new heights of development and this path should always remain clear,” Gupta told reporters outside the 12th-century shrine.