50 students from Odisha completed their 5-day visit to Maharashtra recently 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 was facilitated by AICTE and Ministry of Education.

The batch of 50 students from Odisha were hosted by the Thakur College of Engineering and Technology, Mumbai and provided them an opportunity to learn about Maharashtra's language, culture, traditions, music, food etc.

The team from Odisha were warmly welcomed and served with the Maharashtra’s favourite cuisine including puran poli, kothimbir, vadi, misal pav and kande poha. Apart from this, LIVE cake making workshop was demonstrated by the pastry chefs from the Thakur Institute of Hotel management which evoked much interest among the students.

As part of the tour, the students explored various places of historical and cultural significance. They visited the famous Gateway of India, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, and 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 Kanheri Caves which has around 100 caves that demonstrate unique Buddhist style of art and architecture.

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 Borivali. A valedictory function was held, that was marked by cultural performances like Odissi 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. They engaged in indoor and outdoor activities, fun games and friendly matches.

Student's learning flight controls using a mock up at Thakur Institute of Aviation engineering.

Students participating in the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Student Exchange Program were full of interest and enthusiasm at their visit. GIET University Gunupur student Ananya Rai said that only after the visit we realised that Mumbai is an impeccable blend of the old and modern civilisation, the city seems to be growing every second but they still managed to protect their invaluable history beautifully. I would say this five-day programme was a complete success. Another student Ashutosh Biswal said the trip included 5 days of tour in which we get knowledge about its history, tradition, cloth, food, heritage, culture, language etc. It was the foremost experience to me, to get knowledge about the Maharashtra in nut shell. The best part is to have made new friends here, he added.

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.

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