As an international student from Ethiopia, I have been studying in Odisha since past few years and belong to Federation of International Students Association - Odisha. On the occasion, I along with other international students from FISA-O were invited for World Tourism Day celebrations. A daring Superbike rally by Kalinga riders from Infocity to Dhauli was held where the riders led us to discover the beauty of the undiscovered tourist destination of Odisha - the Dhauli Hills. Here, we attended
the launch of a tourism guidebook, "Unexplored Odisha and a beautiful video Odisha by Road that showcased beautiful beaches and hillstations of the State. Since this was my first World Tourism Day celebration in Odisha, I was delighted to be there and learn more about the State.
Indeed, Odisha is a beautiful, untapped state in India that is rich in culture and has amazing places. I was stunned seeing the Dhauli Hills, its green surroundings, and the clean roads leading to the area. I was amazed to go to a place that some may think is isolated from the city, but the amazing atmosphere can make one feel one with nature and culture.
As I love art, I also attended a stage play 'Manisa Gachara Chhai," which was performed by the staff of Odisha Tourism. Even if the play was in Odia, the amazing acting and music made me feel about the real-life events that are happening nowadays. Overall, it was an amazing experience and a learning session. On behalf of FISA-O, I would like to say that it brought us immense pleasure to be part of the event and we look forward to explore more of Odisha.
Tsegenet Mengistu Abebe is a Research Scholar at SOA University and President of Federation of International Students Associations in Odisha (FISA-O)