Day-long Gangadhar Celebration Organized by 'Odia Bhasha Bikash Andolan' (OBBA) at Barpali

Balasore, 10/8 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty):
The Saraswat organization of Balasore, Odia Bhasha Bikash Andolan (OBBA), organized a day-long celebration of Gangadhar Meher Jayanti at Barpali during a Saraswat harmony journey from Balasore to Barpali. The literary team visiting Barpali paid homage by visiting the birthplace of Gangadhar Meher located there.

*Product Name* - *Kesh Art Bhringraj & Neem Hair Cleanser for Controlling Hair fall & Dandruff* *Product link* -

*Product Name* - *myUpchar 2% Salicylic Acid Serum For Acne, Pimples, Blackheads & Open Pores for both Women & Men - 50ml* *Product Link* -

A literary discussion meeting was held at the venue, chaired by Gangadhar’s great-grandson Manoranjan Meher and coordinated by Dr. Sukamuni Meher. Local MLA Sanat Kumar Garadia attended as the chief guest and warmly welcomed the literary visitors who had arrived from Balasore.

Honored speakers included Dr. Ramakanta Nayak and Dr. Sirish Chandra Jena, who spoke extensively on Gangadhar’s literary contributions. Professors Kumud Ranjan Panigrahi, Ashok Kumar Dash, and Dr. Kulamani Behera were awarded the Gangadhar Sahitya Samman (Literary Award).

The ladies who came from Balasore tied rakhis on everyone’s wrists and served Balasore’s famous Gaja sweets.

Following this program, Gangadhar enthusiasts proceeded in a torchlight procession (Jyoti Yatra) to nearby Satlama College, where they participated in a literary discussion. The college president, Lingaraj Behera, officiated the event, which was a captivating program.

Actress Tapaswini Guru, Dr. Sarangadhar Tripathy, poet Deepak Bose, Dr. Durbadal Meher, Rakshakari Bishi, and Dr. Kamesh Chandra Satapathy were among those who spoke on various aspects of Gangadhar’s literature.

In the evening, at Barpali, Gangadhar Jayanti was jointly celebrated by Gangadhar Meher Club and Odisha Sahitya Akademi. The program began with a staging of Hemendra Mahapatra’s play ‘Kambala’ followed by the state-level Gangadhar Jayanti event officiated by Adhyapak Ghanashyam Panigrahi.

Jagannath culture researcher Dr. Ashutosh Prasad Mishra, eminent litterateurs Dr. Laxman Meher and Dr. Lakshmikant Tripathy shed light on various dimensions of Gangadhar’s literary legacy. Sanjay Kumar Chhual Singh, joint secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, delivered the welcome speech. The program chair Narendra Kumar Hota greeted the guests.

On behalf of Odia Bhasha Bikash Andolan, the Gangadhar Meher Club was presented with a combined statue of Fakir Mohan and Gangadhar, along with a painted blanket as a gift, brought from Balasore.

The Fakir Mohan Sahitya Parishad appreciated the event and presented a certificate of honor and some rare books edited by Dr. Ratnakar Singh to the organizers.

The day-long program saw active participation from Niranjan Raut, Sharata Kumar Mahapatra, Basanti De, Mamata Mahapatra, Geetanjali Singh, Dr. Harischandra Behera, Tapan Ray, Jyotsna Ray, Kalyani Nanda, Subrata Mohanty, Krushna Pradhan, Shantilata Panda, Jumranath Patra, Yashodhara Das, Mamata Das, Snigdha Samantaray, Triptirani Patra, Shubhankar Mahapatra, Benudhar Sahu, Debasish Singh, Deepak Das, Geetanjali Satapathy, Dinabandhu Lenka, Prabhakar Sahu, Sanjay Kumar Panda, Prafulla Kumar Das, Pratima Panda, Archana Nandi and others, who celebrated Gangadhar Jayanti with great warmth and enthusiasm.