Naveen Pays Tributes to Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das on His Birth Anniversary

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has paid his humble tributes to Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das, the architect of modern Odisha, on his 172nd birth anniversary today.

The CM took to Twitter to pay tributes to the legendary freedom fighter.

ସ୍ବତନ୍ତ୍ର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପ୍ରଦେଶ ଗଠନର ଅନ୍ୟତମ କର୍ଣ୍ଣଧାର ତଥା ଆଧୁନିକ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ନିର୍ମାତା ଉତ୍କଳ ଗୌରବ ମଧୁସୂଦନ ଦାସଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀରେ ମୋର ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି। ଓଡ଼ିଆ ସ୍ଵାଭିମାନର ସୁରକ୍ଷା, ଶିଳ୍ପ, ଶିକ୍ଷା ଓ ସାହିତ୍ୟରେ ଉତ୍କର୍ଷ ପ୍ରତିପାଦନ ସହ ରାଜ୍ୟର ପ୍ରଗତିରେ ତାଙ୍କ ବହୁମୂଲ୍ୟ ଅବଦାନ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ଓ ପ୍ରେରଣାଦାୟୀ। pic.twitter.com/VtBqm6jgOi

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 28, 2020

Madhusudan Das popularly known as Utkal Gourav, was born on April 28, 1848 in the village of Satyabhamapur, 20 km away from Cuttack, Odisha. His father’s name was Choudhury Raghunath Das and his mother’s name was Parbati Debi. He had two older sisters and a younger brother named Gopalballabh.

Madhusudan Das had his primary education in the village high school learning all subjects including Persian. After his primary education he went to Cuttack High School (later known as Ravenshaw Collegiate School) and completed his secondary education. Later he went to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) to pursue his MA and BL degrees. He stayed there for fifteen years and then returned to Cuttack and started his legal practice. He was the first Odia to get the Degree of M.A. B.L. from Calcutta University.

He was not only a lawyer but he was also a social reformer and a patriot. He worked hard for the social, political and economical upliftment of the people of Eastern India. He was the founder of “Utkal Sammilani” which brought the revolution in the social development of Odisha. He gave away all his earnings generously for the higher education of poor children. He became a popular person among the Odia peoples. Many common people of Odisha called him as “Madhu Babu”. He was an admirable personality holding many high positions and honours in his entire life span.

During the British rule Odisha was divided into four different States. To bring Odisha under one independent rule, he organised “Utkal Samilani” in the year 1903 and started a revolution called “Desha Mishrana Andolan”, that resulted in the emergence of Odisha as a new State.