CM, Union Min pay tribute to Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das on his 171st anniversary

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took to Twitter to pay their tributes to Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das as Odisha celebrated his 171st birth anniversary today with much respect.

In his Twitter post in Odia, Naveen remembered Utkal Gaurab for his tremendous contribution towards the development of education, industry, literature in Odisha (the then Orissa) as well as relentless efforts for social reform.

ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷା ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନର ଅନ୍ୟତମ ପୁରୋଧା ତଥା ଆଧୁନିକ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସ୍ରଷ୍ଟା ଉତ୍କଳ ଗୌରବ ମଧୁସୂଦନ ଦାସଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀରେ ମୋର ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି। ଓଡ଼ିଶାରେ ଶିକ୍ଷା, ଶିଳ୍ପର ଉନ୍ନତି ସହ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଓ ସମାଜ ସଂସ୍କାର ପାଇଁ ତାଙ୍କ ଅବଦାନ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ। pic.twitter.com/jBczwyzScc

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 28, 2019

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his tweet earlier had quoted a few inspiring lines of Utkal Gaurab in Odia and expressed his tribute to him.

ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ଉତ୍କଳ ପ୍ରଦେଶ ଗଠନର କର୍ଣ୍ଣଧାର ଉତ୍କଳ ଗୌରବ ମଧୁସୂଦନ ଦାସଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀ ଅବସରରେ ଭକ୍ତିପୂତ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି । pic.twitter.com/0WWWNUsNNu

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) April 28, 2019

Similarly, internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also created a beautiful sand sculpture to at Puri sea beach marking the occasion dubbing Utakl Gaurab as the “Iconic Pride of Odisha”.

Tribute to #UtkalaGouraba MadhuSudan Das on 171th birth anniversary. ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ🙏 pic.twitter.com/e37ixCSIc2

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) April 28, 2019

Notably, also known as ‘Madhu Babu’ by the common people Utkal Gaurab was born in 28 April 1848 in Satyabhamapur of Cuttack. Born to Choudhury Raghunath Das and Parbati Debi, he became the first Odia to become a member of both the Legislative Council and the Central Legislative Assembly of India. He also founded Utkal Sammilani and played a key role in the formation of united Orissa on April 1, 1936.