Bhubaneswar: Raja, the annual agrarian festival of Odisha celebrating Mother Earth, women and the onset of monsoon, was observed with much fanfare this year from June 14 to June 16 by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC).

During the three-day-long festive period, OTDC registered record revenue of around Rs 16 lakh through the sale of Raja Pitha and other Odia delicacies which is a 33 per cent increase over the revenue recorded last year, which was INR 12 Lakhs.

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OTDC Chairman Lenin Mohanty said, “The consistent efforts made by OTDC along with the Department of Tourism to promote the State’s culture and cuisine by organising innovative events revolving around Odia festivals has not only earned the trust of Odia citizens but has also elevated the passion among people to celebrate their traditions with much enthusiasm. The positive response garnered from the patrons, especially women, shows the success of 5T Model of governance based on which every Government department carries out its service towards the people of Odisha.”

The Raja Mahotsav was started in the year 2010 by OTDC with the aim to promote Odia culture, and authentic Odia delicacies along with celebrations during Raja including traditional Raja Doli, Raja Pitha and Raja Paan.

This year, special arrangements were made to ensure the sale of Raja delicacies and sweets across all hospitality units of OTDC in Odisha including Pitha Stalls at Nimantran Restaurant in Bhubaneswar and Silver City Boat Club in Cuttack.

Moreover, to spread the festive fervour while making an effort to keep the Odia culture and traditions associated with Raja alive, ‘Pitha on Wheels’ special vans were deployed for the sale of Raja delicacies at important locations in Bhubaneswar such as Sahid Nagar, Khandagiri, Patia etc from 8 am to 5 pm during the three days. The vans provided options for take away of Raja Pitha and delicacies prepared by OTDC.