Bhubaneswar: The spirit of childhood took centre stage across Odisha as the Women & Child Development department successfully hosted the ‘Kotie Hasa’, an annual child fest on Children’s Day.
Spanning across all districts at Anganwadi levels, the festival transformed communities into vibrant hubs of play-based learning, traditional storytelling, and family engagement.
At the flagship State-level event held at Mainshikhal in Harinagar near Bhubaneswar, around 700 children aged 0–6 years and their caregivers gathered alongside Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. The celebration focused heavily on holistic child development, responsive parenting, and the vital role families play during a child’s formative years.
Addressing the enthusiastic gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister stressed that a strong future is rooted in early love, care, and meaningful engagement. In a progressive push toward shared domestic responsibilities, she specifically encouraged fathers to take an active role in childcare and early learning.
The event successfully brought this vision to life through specialised activity zones. Fathers proudly participated in DIY toy-making workshops utilising low-cost, locally available materials, earning special felicitation for their creative efforts.
Meanwhile, grandparents enriched the atmosphere by sharing traditional lullabies and folk stories—cultural practices that foster emotional and social bonding in young minds.
The festival featured dedicated zones tailored for 0–3 years and 3-6 years. Children threw themselves into action songs, dance performances, and drawing competitions with immense joy. Smt. Parida personally interacted with the young participants, parents, and local Anganwadi workers before presenting certificates and gift kits to encourage home-based play and learning.
While the Bhubaneswar event drew major state leaders—including Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr Mrinalini Darswal and Director Smt. Monisha Banerjee—the celebration echoed statewide. Festivities rolled out across all Anganwadi Centres and model district headquarters, uniting local communities under a unified mission.
Through Kotie Hasa, the government has reinforced its steadfast commitment to early childhood care and education (ECCE), ensuring that every child is surrounded by companionship, creativity, and the right environment to flourish.