Gopabandhu Dash

Gopabandhu Das who is known to every Oriya family was born on 9th October 1877 in a small village called Suando in the Satyabadi police station of Puri district. The village is situated on

the bank of river Bhargavi, a sacred river for the people of coastal Orissa. He was the son of Sri Daitari Das and his third wife Srimati Swarnamayee Devi. Gopabandhu graduated from Cuttack. He lost his father before joining Ravenshaw College. He took time to adjust to the new environment. His personality attracted friends. Gopabandhu has created some memorable literary pieces named as “Go Mahamya”, “Nachiketa Upakhyana”, “Karakabita” and “Dharmapada”. 

He formed 'Kartavya Bodhini Samiti' to engage his friends for discussion on socio-economic and political problems. During his Ravenshaw days, he along with Acharya Harihara and Braja Sundar Das engaged himself in helping the flood victims. During his studentship at Cuttack he lost a newly born son. Further his social service affected his educational pursuit. Due to this he was failed in B.A examination and he got this degree in the second attempt. 

Later he went to Calcutta where he did both M.A. and LL.B. As an educationist he was responsible for establishment of Satyabadi School at Satyabadi in the Puri District. Imbued with patriotic fervour the students of Satyabadi School were known as indefatigable fighters against British Imperialism. Gopabandhu regarded politics as an instrument of service to the people. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, Gopabandhu was one of the Noblest Sons of Orissa. 

His spirit of service and sacrifice finds an apt echo in his following lines. “Let my body mingle in the dust of my motherland and let my countrymen walk across it”. On June 17, 1928 Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, the jewel of modern Utkal died at the age of only fifty-one. Though, he is no more yet his memory remains in the hearts of millions of people.