Panchayat Polls In Odisha: Tagore’s Neglected Home, Statue Also Issues In His Ancestral Village

By
OB Bureau

Paradip: Pandua in Jagatsinghpur district’s Erasama is a non-descript village. But the place makes news once in a while for a derelict house, which is Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home. It is in this house that Tagore wrote the dance-drama Chitrangada.

Not surprisingly, in the upcoming panchayat polls in Odisha, Tagore is also an issue in his ancestral village.

Three members of a family who are contesting the polls have promised to install a bronze statue of Tagore in the village, if elected.

Kailash Chandra Swain, a retired government employee, has filed his nomination for sarpanch post. His daughter-in-law Swapanita Swain is contesting for zilla parishad member post and daughter Subhashree Subhasmit for the post of panchayat samiti member.

“We have urged the government several times to install his statue. His ancestral home also lies neglected,” Kailash Chandra Swain (62) said.

Years ago, the Odisha government had decided to install a statue of Tagore in the village but that promise lies forgotten. The state Culture department talks of renovating Tagore’s ancestral home from time to time but the plan has remained on paper.

Villagers have named the road that connects the village with the highway as ‘Rabindra Sarani’ in the Nobel laureate’s honour but feel only government efforts can help preserve his legacy.

Pandua village was part of the zamindari estate of the Tagore family. In all, 53 villages in Jagatsinghpur were part of the family estate.

Tagore visited the village several times between 1896 and 1942.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Another Stone Falls From Jagannath Temple At Khallikote In Odisha’s Ganjam

Berhampur: A stone weighing 2 kg fell from the ‘Singhadwara Gumuta’ of the Lord Jagannath…

November 14, 2024

Sunita Williams Dismisses Rumours About Weight Loss, Explains Her ‘Sunken Cheeks’

New Delhi: Recent pictures of Space Station Commander Sunita Williams from the International Space Station…

November 14, 2024

Payal Rohatgi Calls Out Rupali Ganguly For Dating A Married Man

Mumbai: Actress Rupali Ganguly recently filed a Rs 50 crore defamation case against her stepdaughter…

November 14, 2024

National Hockey: Odisha To Clash With Manipur In Semifinals

Chennai: Odisha will face Manipur in the semifinals of the 14th Hockey India Senior Men’s…

November 14, 2024

India To Push Canada For Extradition Of Arrested Khalistani Terrorist Arsh Dalla

New Delhi: India will again ask Canada for the extradition of designated Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh…

November 14, 2024

School Dropout From West Bengal Arrested For Practising As Ayurvedic Doctor In Odisha’s Berhampur

Berhampur: Police have arrested a man from West Bengal for allegedly claiming himself to be…

November 14, 2024

Manoj Bajpayee Recalls Staying In ‘Hell’, Experiencing Starvation

Mumbai: Carving a niche for himself in Bollywood was not a cakewalk for ‘The Family…

November 14, 2024

After Disapproving Of Ranveer, Mukesh Khanna Rejects Tiger Shroff For ‘Shakitmaan’

Mumbai: Mukesh Khanna’s Indian superhero series ‘Shaktimaan’ has been making headlines for quite some time…

November 14, 2024