Mumbai: 50 students from Odisha completed their 5-day Maharashtra visit today under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Student Exchange Program. The students reached Mumbai on 29th June as part of the Exchange Program. The exchange programme is facilitated by AICTE and Ministry of Education under the initiatives Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The batch of 50 students from Odisha were hosted by the Thakur College of Engineering and Technology, Mumbai in last five days that provided them an opportunity to learn about Maharashtra’s language, culture, traditions, music, food etc.
As part of Maharashtra visit, the students explored various places of historical and cultural significance. They visited the famous Gateway of India, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the National Gallery of Modern Art. Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum, the Vastu Sangrahalaya houses a host of relics, artworks and artefacts from the Mughal empire era, Indus Valley Civilization, and displays of Mumbai’s trade relations with other continents.
To experience the flora and fauna of the state, the students visited the Sanjay Gandhi National Park which has the unique distinction of being the largest tropical forest anywhere in the world to be completely surrounded by urban sprawl. At the park, the students also got a chance to visit the Kaneri Caves which has around 100 caves that demonstrates unique Buddhist style of art and architecture.
In Mumbai, which is the entertainment capital of India and the centre of Bollywood, the students visited the National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mahalakshmi. Students also explored Nehru Science Centre in Worli and the Girgaon Viewing Deck. Earlier, students visited the Thakur Institute of Aviation Technology to experience AR VR technology and Thakur Institute of Hotel Management. On the last day of their visit, the students from Odisha along with the volunteers of TCET visited Global Vipassana Pagoda in Navi Mumbai. A valedictory function was held today that was marked by cultural performances like Sambhalpuri and Bharatanatyam dance by students. During the stay, students from both the states had a chance to exchange views on traditions, culture, lifestyle, education, etc. which they engaged in indoor and outdoor activities, fun games and friendly matches.
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme aims to enhance interaction & promote mutual understanding between people of different states/UTs through the concept of state/UT pairing. The states carry out activities to promote a sustained and structured cultural connect in the areas of language learning, culture, traditions & music, tourism & cuisine, sports and sharing of best practices, etc.
