Bhubaneswar: A statue has been unveiled today in state capital as a befitting tribute to Karmaveer Gourishankar Ray on his 179th Birth Anniversary. Installed in PMG Square by the Department of Culture , Govt of Odisha the unveiling of statue was performed in the presence of Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister, Tourism & culture, Pratap Jena, Minister, Health & Family Welfare, Law, Dr Prasnna Patsani, MP, Priyadarshi Mishra, MLA and Ananta Narayan Jena, Mayor, BMC. Among others relatives of Late Gourishankar and senor citizens along with admirers of Ray were present.
Department of Culture is making pro-active measures to install the statues of great sons of soil at various places in the state and this is a befitting gesture to honour Karmaveer Gourishankar, said Manoranjan Panigrahi, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Culture. State Government has incurred an expenditure of about Rs.11 lakh for installation of the statue in addition to the pedestal, he added.
Karmaveer Gourishankar Ray (1838-1917) was one of the makers of the modern Odisha. Born in Dikhitpara of undivided Cuttack district, Gourishankar joined Balasore Zilla School after completing his education from Kolkata. He involved himself in various organisations such as Utkal Sabha, Odisha Association, Utkal Sammilani, Utkal Sahitya Samaj for furtherance of Odia language and literature. He is regarded as a saviour of Odia language, culture during a period of turmoil, apprehension and threats to Odia language, emerging as a hero of Odia renaissance. He established Cuttack Printing Company in 1865 to bring out first Odia newspaper “Utkal Deepika” which had disseminated information on the problems and hardship of Odias’ during famine of 1966. He also started Purana Prakashika Samiti in order to undertake publication of rare palm leaf manuscripts along with Ramayan and Mahabharat.
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