Bhubaneswar: While the whole nation paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi today, various schools, colleges and different organisations across the State also celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
People gathered at Gandhi Temple in Bhatra of Sambalpur city and offered floral tributes to the Mahatma. Inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Odisha, Nandini Satpathy in 1974, this is said to be the only temple of the leader in the country.
“Like we worship God, prayers are offered here every day. After the Sandhya Alati, Ram Dhun is played inside the temple,” said a local.
In Bhubaneswar, an exhibition of Gandhi’s slippers, watches, chair, his photographs and other items have been put on display at the headquarters of Odisha State Bharat Scouts and Guides. The programme, organised by Gandhi 150 State Samiti, is likely to continue till October 2, 2020.
Co-ordinator of Gandhi 150 State Samiti, Dr Biswajit said, “We are displaying some of the materials that Gandhiji once used to use in his daily life. When the leader visited Cuttack in 1921, the chair and rugs he used were available with us. We have also collected other items including various documents and letters from a museum in Delhi.”
Bhabani Charan Patnaik, a freedom fighter said that the Samiti is trying to propagate the principles of Gandhiji among the people which are gradually losing its importance with time.
Similarly, a special function was organised at the Sai International School in Bhubaneswar where students dressed in Gandhi’s attire participated to celebrate the 150th Gandhi Jayanti. The students also made a human chain to mark the day.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Gandhi Shanti Sadbhavna Sobha Yatra’ organised by Odisha Gandhibadi Forum and also inaugurated the 'Mahatma Gandhi Setu' over Kushabhadra River at Balianta in Khurda district to commemorate the day.
As per sources, the chariot of the ‘Gandhi Shanti Sadbhavna Sobha Yatra’ will travel across all the districts and halt at Swaraj Ashram in Cuttack on November 6.
“We will cover all the districts and particularly the areas where Gandhiji had visited during his stay in Odisha. We will also organise meeting in those places,” said a member of Odisha Gandhibadi Forum.
Similarly, a host of events were organised to mark the district-level celebrations in Balasore. A padyatra was also organised in the town which was attended by the students of various schools and other educational institutions.
On Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, many leaders paid humble tributes mentioning him as one of the greatest humans to have ever lived on this planet.