The Central University of Odisha, a premier institution dedicated to the spread of higher education is also making efforts in making the students physically fit through traditional Indian sports and games.

Working in this direction, CUO organised a two-day Bharateeya Paramparik Kreeda Mahotsava jointly with Kreeda Bharati on April 21 and 22.

The event aims to create awareness about the traditional games of India, which are losing popularity in the modern days, and prevent them from going into oblivion. Indian games and sports have a rich tradition and history and go back to thousands of years. Even though games like Kho Kho, Pallanguzi, Lippa, Kabaddi, and Gilli Danda are not as popular as they used to be, they were once played by children, keeping them healthy and fit.

On the occasion various Indian traditional games including Yoga, Archery, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Malkhamb and Rope Malkhamb (all from Odisha), Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta(Assam), Atya Patya, Gilli Danda and Surya Namaskar, were showcased. During the second session two sports events were demonstrated, Rope and Pole Mallakhamb (Odisha) and Bharatiya Yudha Kaushal (West Bengal).

Eight groups of sportspersons playing different games too were present during the event. Of these five were from Odisha, two from West Bengal and one from Assam.

The Kreeda Mahotsava was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar. He mentioned that the significance of sports and yoga were mentioned in our Vedas and Upanishads as well as in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Natyashastra.