Inauguration of ‘Heritage Project’ on February 23
Suaando – The birthplace of Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das is being beautifully redeveloped. The inauguration of this rejuvenated site will be conducted by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the upcoming 23rd of February. The entire village of Suaando is abuzz with preparations for the CM’s visit.
A high-level meeting was held today in Suaando to discuss the preparations. The meeting was chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary and attended by Satyabadi MLA Umakanta Samantaray, the Sub-Collector, project director, cultural officer, OBCC engineers, police officials, the Satyabadi BDO and Tehsildar, and other district-level administrative officers. They reviewed and discussed the arrangements and progress of the redevelopment work scheduled for the 23rd.
The team inspected key locations including the helipad landing area, the public gathering space, Gopabandhu’s ancestral home, traditional rice-threshing area (Dhenkishaala), the museum, and the restored sacred pond (Pushkarini). Additionally, the reconstruction of the Lokeshwar Shiva Temple, located in Utkalmani’s village, has also been completed.
The development work at Gopabandhu Das’s birthplace in Suaando is being executed with a budget of ₹28.8 crore, and is now in its final stages. As part of the project, a 15-foot-high full-body bronze statue of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das has been installed, weighing approximately 2 tons. This statue has been erected by the Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC).
Recently, 5T Secretary V.K. Pandian visited the site to review the progress and returned after inspecting the redevelopment work at the birthplace of Gopabandhu. Following these developments, the appearance and identity of Gopabandhu’s birthplace are set to transform—a change that everyone has been eagerly awaiting.
