Odias in Jakarta, Manama relish ‘soul food’ to mark Pakhala Divas

Bhubaneswar: As Odisha celebrated Pakhala Divas on March 20, Odias living abroad savoured the culturally significant dish on different days. While having ‘pakhala' is customary during summer in Odisha, for Odia NRIs, it represents their cultural identity.In Jakarta, 27 Odia families gathered at an event hosted by Indonesia Odia Samaj on Sunday to share the soul food, prepared at a restaurant run by an Odia. "Pakhala is an emotion for Odias. Pakhala Divas celebration is an attempt to get all Odias connected to our roots," said Subhashree Tripathy, core committee member, Indonesia Odia Samaj.The preparation of ‘pakhala' involves soaking cooked rice in water overnight for fermenting. It is accompanied by roasted vegetables, including brinjal, tomato and potato, alongside fried dry fish, fish and prawns, with the essential ‘badi chura'. Most Odias abroad maintain the traditional menu. The Jakarta celebration featured dishes like ‘dahi pakhala', fish fry, ‘alu bhaja', ‘saga bhaja', ‘alu-baigan-tomato bharta', ‘kalara' chips, among others.Bahrain Odia Samaj in Manama organised Pakhala Divas with 50 Odias participating, where each family prepared an Odia dish to complement pakhala. "Every Odia is a cultural ambassador of Odisha. It is our duty to spread our art and culture. Organising Pakhala Divas was an endeavour to that end," said Arun Kumar Praharaj, founder president, Bahrain Odia Samaj.Celebrating Pakhala Divas abroad creates a homely atmosphere, particularly when sharing meals with fellow Odias. "We had ‘pakhala' with the traditional accomplishments, which was very heartening," said Dinesh Nayak, a forensic analyst.The celebration is also an opportunity to introduce the significance of the dish to the younger generation. "We tell our children that ‘pakhala' is a wholesome food in itself, which gives us satisfaction and pride of being Odia," said Subhashree of Jakarta.