Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of World Pakhala Dibasa, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik greeted everyone and said the traditional Odia food is his favourite cuisine.
Taking to his Twitter handle, the Odisha CM wrote: “It is always a pleasure to relish Odia cuisine, especially my favourite Pakhala which I have a special liking for. Remember fondly the appreciation of guests from outside the state and country whenever we served them Pakhala. Wishing you all a happy Pakhala Dibas.”
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It is always a pleasure to relish Odia cuisine, especially my favourite #Pakhala which I have a special liking for. Remember fondly the appreciation of guests from outside the state and country whenever we served them #Pakhala. Wishing you all a happy #PakhalaDibas pic.twitter.com/u2yihyChtN
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) March 20, 2021
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Internationally acclaimed Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also created a special artwork on Puri sea beach to mark Pakhala Dibasa.
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On the occasion of #PakhalaDibasa. A unique celebrations for the Summer delicacy of Odisha. My SandArt at Puri beach . pic.twitter.com/068dbkCkb8
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) March 20, 2021
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Pakhala Divas is celebrated every year on March 20. This day is celebrated to enjoy the Odia dish ‘Pakhaḷa’. The item is considered good to beat the summer heat and to promote the dish.
Pakhala comes from Sanskrit word ‘prakhyala’ meaning ‘to wash with water’. Traditionally it was prepared by keeping leftover rice in an earthen pot with some water and a small amount of curd/lemon. After 7-8 hours, the rice ferments and turns into pakhala.
