Odisha: Villagers Of Deogarh’s Kirtanpali Hoist Tricolour Everyday

Deogarh: Residents of Kirtanpali village under Reamal block in Odisha’s Deogarh district come together every morning to raise the national flag and recite the national anthem as a unique act of patriotism and to foster a sense of unity.

This rural village is the only one where there is a tradition of fostering patriotic fervour. Numerous sources have praised the Kirtanpali locals for their love of their nation and fellow citizens.

As part of their daily practice, the villagers gather at a stand-post in front of the Bana Surakhya Samiti (BSS) mandap, where local Anganwadi worker Geetanjali Behera raises the Tricolour at six in the morning.

Members of the BSS beat drums in advance to call the locals to gather. For the daily rites, people of all ages, genders, castes, and creeds congregate and form a line.

They built a podium with “three monkeys,” bought loudspeakers, and erected a half-size monument of Mahatma Gandhi with a total of Rs 30,000 raised from private donations.

This tradition not only arouses a sense of patriotism, compassion and honesty in them, but also makes them enthusiastic, Kirtanpali villagers said.

The has the rare honour of being an ‘open defecation-free’, clean and green village declared by the government of India. The village has been getting support from the state government for farming and scientific methods for agricultural production.

Kirtanpali has also been awarded a number of times for being recognised as a clean, alcohol-free and an ideal village in the state.