The hustle and bustle at .FEST’s continues as over 20 thousand people enjoy the fervour

Bhubaneswar, 27th January 2023: – Despite the .FEST 2023 coming to a close in the
next couple of days, people of Bhubaneshwar have continued to throng the IDCO
Exhibition grounds and Ekamra Haat in a bid to enjoy the ongoing festivities. Day 13 in
particular, saw over twenty thousand visitors taking part in all the activities from Sebe-
Au-Ebe, to International Food Festival, to Night Flea Market to the Trails. Additionally,
.FEST has incorporated a stage near Gate 1 which is showcasing a slew of regional
heartthrob singers and performers.
The one-of-a-kind event ‘Sebe-O-Ebe, which translates into ‘Then & Now’, highlights the
illustrious urban past of Bhubaneswar and showcases its transformation. This one-of-a-
kind event highlighted the illustrious urban/city past of Bhubaneswar and showcased
over 450 pictures ranging from 70 to 150 years back that depicted the transformation of
5 categories namely the We the people, Heritage, Festival, Making of the city,
Happenings. Ranging from culture to people to infrastructure and much more, some of
the major sources for these images are the I&PR department, American anthropologist
James M. Freeman, the personal collection of Dr. Ramakanta Samantaray from old
magazines and photographs from artists and photographers across.
The trails also witnessed heavy traction as over 100 people enjoyed the trails today,
from Food Trails to Nature Trails to Heritage Trails. It has also been noticed that people
are loving the food trails, particularly the Odia Thali trail to have authentic Odia thali
experience Another major attraction is the Night Flea Market, which provides a
remarkable stage for regional artists, start-ups, performers, makers, and creators to
showcase their products. The Flea Market features around 120 stalls of local artisans,
new-age designers, entrepreneurs, and alike which made a total business of around
INR 6 lakh on day 13 of the festival.
The people are also enjoying the International Food Festival, where around 80–90
varieties of international cuisines from the 16 Hockey World Cup participating countries
are offered as part of the food extravaganza. This includes a total of six international
stalls and 24 state stalls of Odisha, that are set up to present international and regional
delicacies. The event also featured 4 government-run stalls with cuisine participation
from Millet Mission to Mission Shakti Nari to Koraput Café among others. The
International Food Festival is a super hit as the entire food bonanza has created a total
business of around INR 13 lakh on day 13 of the festival.