The sprawling 19-acres at Janata Maidan, the venue of the second biennial Make in Odisha Conclave, has turned into the city’s latest attraction.

After chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the conclave on Sunday, hundreds of people made a beeline to the venue to catch a glimpse of the mega event.

The venue through its various installations and artwork presents an Odisha that is modern yet steeped in its rich cultural past. The venue boasts of a cluster of magnificent art, architecture, culture and a complete record of Odisha’s growth story. At the venue, an attempt is being made to showcase not only the rich culture of Odisha, but also the business opportunities available in the state.

All around the venue, Naveen’s messages that speak about the state’s growth story have found prominent space. Besides Naveen’s image on how to make Odisha the number one destination for all, with messages of industry giants Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Anil Agarwal, and N. Chandrasekharan thrown in, have also been found place.

Chairman of Adani group Gautam Adani in his message said: “The tangible growth that Naveen Patnaik has delivered over the period of 18 years is there for all to see and I am excited for the possibilities that lie ahead for the Adani group to be part of the growth.”

The Janata Maidan has four gates named as Kalinga (the early name of Odisha), Ekamra (the temple city Bhubaneswar was earlier known as Ekamra), Barabati (the oldest fort) and Mukteswar. All of the gates, except Mukteswar, have been decorated. The gates have been decorated with wheels and boats.

“The boats with men in them reflects the rich business tradition of Odias, who used to go to the various islands such as Bali and Sumatra to explore business opportunities,” said one of the organisers.

While the common people will enter the venue using the Kalinga gate, the VIPs will enter through Ekamra and media representatives through Barbati. The service boys will enter using the Mukteswar gate.

In order to showcase Odisha before the international gathering, Odisha theme pavilion has been named after Deomali, the state’s highest peak. It is geodesic in shape.

“Once you enter the dome, you will be shown graphs, pictures on the business opportunities available in the state. It also speaks of how Odisha has moved forward and how the state economy has surpassed the growth rate of the country.

The plenary session will be held at Mahanadi. The choosing of the name itself symbolises Odisha government’s battle with the Centre and the Chhattisgarh to get justice for people of the 15 coastal districts.

The important meetings of business leaders will be held at four pavilions named after four important rivers of the state — Brahmani, Baitrani, Rushikulya and Subarnarekha.

The expo hangar has been located in three pavilions named after the three important places of Odisha —- Chilika lagoon, Similipal national park and Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary. All the major industrial houses have set up their beautiful counters showcasing their products and investments in the state.

The floral decoration at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Ashwinee Pati