My City Links: March 2020 Issue

Efficient and affordable transport services are the lifeline of any region anywhere in the world. It goes without saying that this holds true for Odisha as well, particularly when it comes to the use of buses for commuting. Private bus operators provide good connectivity on many routes but recent government initiatives like Mo Bus have changed the scenario. Read our Cover Story to find out more.

There was a time when sports and academics were considered to be poles apart. That belief has changed in recent years. Nobody can articulate this better than Odisha’s Sports and IT Minister Tusharkanti Behera who is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur. The minister, who is our Cityzen for the edition, discusses this and more.

He also talks about how Odisha has emerged as the ultimate sports destination of India over the past years, with facilities like the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the JN Indoor Stadium in Cuttack hosting major international and national sporting meets. The most recent one, the Khelo India University Games, was also held in Bhubaneswar, mostly at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), proving once again that Odisha is indeed the sports capital of India.

There is a little bit of poetry in everybody’s life. Nobody knows it better than singer-musician Harpreet. Even as a child, he had understood that music, and poetry, would be his calling in life. He talks about this and lot more in Transit Lounge during his third, and most recent, visit to Odisha.

The section also features Mahina Khanum and Avishai who have travelled the world to take Odissi to new audiences. What makes their journey so interesting is that Mahina is not from India to begin with and Avishai was introduced to Odissi by her.

The government is working to restore and promote iconic tourist destinations like the Sun Temple in Konark. My City Links takes a close look at the plans, efforts on the ground, and listens to some dissonant voices to bring you the big picture in City Beat.

Odisha-born cinematographer Piyush Putty is going places. His upcoming film is being produced by Shahrukh Khan’s production house. Get all the details in ScreenShots. We also bring you some sharp insights into the history of Ollywood’s action movies.

In City Lights, we talk about the festival of colours, the rituals and the celebrations. My City Links wishes everyone a safe and Happy Holi.