It seems like yesterday that I had this glint in my eyes that I am moving abroad. It’s like a cliché statement when you gloat in front of your friends saying, “Hey, I stay in a far-off la la land!” It has been a decade since I shifted from my beautiful, cultural and heritage-rich hometown Bhubaneswar, Odisha to Oman and trust me this fascination of staying abroad fades away when you start missing the intricacies and warmth of your homeland. It is commonly said that ‘home is where the heart is’. However, for me, the heart is where the home is! After all, a big part of my heart still lives in my home, my beautiful homeland Odisha!
I miss being a part of the celebrations, festivals and traditions of Odisha. Be it any occasion, the moment you are there, you will know that it is a special day. The preparations of food and the aroma in the air, the unique, different and detailed decorations for each festival, the chattering and sparkling laughter of gatherings leading to a joyous atmosphere. Be it Ganesh puja, Saraswati puja, Savitri puja or the magnificent Rath Yatra, the iconic festival where people from all over the world flock to Puri to witness the mega event, all the festivals are celebrated with grandeur and add value to Odisha’s cultural-heritage.
Odisha is famous for its food delicacies. Being a foodie, I love the tangy street-food which tingle my taste buds. I yearn for gupchup, chat, Cuttack’s famous dahibara aludum, pakhala with fish fry and badi, Pahala’s famous rasgulla and chenna poda besides a whole lot of other unique food-items of Odisha.
Odisha is a land of stunning art and beauty with enthralling natural landscapes. You can offload your worries by just relaxing on the serene beaches, enjoying the waves splashing and hitting the shore and chatting with your loved ones. Since, I am blessed to have most of my paternal and maternal relatives in Odisha, I always have a gala time whenever I go there for holidays. We plan trips and gatherings to various exotic destinations and have unlimited fun. The pack up and end of the holidays is the most dreadful part as my heart starts yearning for some more moments of joy in this amazing land of mine!
The people of Odisha are simple and kind hearted. They are the people who make me want to stay longer in this humble abode. With years passing by we get buried in the routine life, move to different places, following the path that our ambitions lead us to. However, it is the heart that keeps returning to the sacred, divine and warm hometown from where we come. It is the heart that we must listen to, to keep our home alive within us, however far from it we may be!The people of Odisha are simple and kind hearted. They are the people who make me want to stay longer in this humble abode. With years passing by we get buried in the routine life, move to different places, following the path that our ambitions lead us to. However, it is the heart that keeps returning to the sacred, divine and warm hometown from where we come. It is the heart that we must listen to, to keep our home alive within us, however far from it we may be!
What do you like most about your hometown? And what is the one thing that you miss the most, staying far from it? Please do share your views in the comments section. We would love to hear from you.
It seems like yesterday that I had this glint in my eyes that I am moving abroad. It’s like a cliché statement when you gloat in front of your friends saying, “Hey, I stay in a far-off la la land!” It has been a decade since I shifted from my beautiful, cultural and heritage-rich hometown Bhubaneswar, Odisha to Oman and trust me this fascination of staying abroad fades away when you start missing the intricacies and warmth of your homeland. It is commonly said that ‘home is where the heart is’. However, for me, the heart is where the home is! After all, a big part of my heart still lives in my home, my beautiful homeland Odisha!
I miss being a part of the celebrations, festivals and traditions of Odisha. Be it any occasion, the moment you are there, you will know that it is a special day. The preparations of food and the aroma in the air, the unique, different and detailed decorations for each festival, the chattering and sparkling laughter of gatherings leading to a joyous atmosphere. Be it Ganesh puja, Saraswati puja, Savitri puja or the magnificent Rath Yatra, the iconic festival where people from all over the world flock to Puri to witness the mega event, all the festivals are celebrated with grandeur and add value to Odisha’s cultural-heritage.
Odisha is famous for its food delicacies. Being a foodie, I love the tangy street-food which tingle my taste buds. I yearn for gupchup, chat, Cuttack’s famous dahibara aludum, pakhala with fish fry and badi, Pahala’s famous rasgulla and chenna poda besides a whole lot of other unique food-items of Odisha.
Odisha is a land of stunning art and beauty with enthralling natural landscapes. You can offload your worries by just relaxing on the serene beaches, enjoying the waves splashing and hitting the shore and chatting with your loved ones. Since, I am blessed to have most of my paternal and maternal relatives in Odisha, I always have a gala time whenever I go there for holidays. We plan trips and gatherings to various exotic destinations and have unlimited fun. The pack up and end of the holidays is the most dreadful part as my heart starts yearning for some more moments of joy in this amazing land of mine!
The people of Odisha are simple and kind hearted. They are the people who make me want to stay longer in this humble abode. With years passing by we get buried in the routine life, move to different places, following the path that our ambitions lead us to. However, it is the heart that keeps returning to the sacred, divine and warm hometown from where we come. It is the heart that we must listen to, to keep our home alive within us, however far from it we may be!The people of Odisha are simple and kind hearted. They are the people who make me want to stay longer in this humble abode. With years passing by we get buried in the routine life, move to different places, following the path that our ambitions lead us to. However, it is the heart that keeps returning to the sacred, divine and warm hometown from where we come. It is the heart that we must listen to, to keep our home alive within us, however far from it we may be!
What do you like most about your hometown? And what is the one thing that you miss the most, staying far from it? Please do share your views in the comments section. We would love to hear from you.
