CM Naveen Inaugurates Utkalmani Memorial Museum & Gopabandhu Statue at Suando

Bhubnaeswar: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the renovated memorial of Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das at his birthplace Suando in Odisha’s Puri district on Thursday. A 15-ft statue of Utkalmani and the museum dedicated to the great man were also dedicated by the CM.

The CM flew to Suando in a helicopter from Bhubaneswar. He offered prayers at a local Shiva temple before reaching the inauguration site. As part of the project, the ancestral house of Utkalmani has been renovated and a memorial museum set up to showcase his life and times. This museum showcases several items used by him, his books, and rare photographs.

To develop Suando as a tourist spot, several amenities have been added to the place. They include a Shiva temple, a park, a children’s playground, a decorated water body, a canteen, and a shopping complex at the banks of the Bhargavi river.

In 2021, the government earmarked Rs 25.25 crore for turning Suando into a heritage village. Plans are on to introduce water sports on the Bhargavi river flowing through the village to attract tourists.