Gopabandhu Das was a writer & freedom fighter. He is remembered for his thought provoking poems, & prose. Gopabandhu Das (1876-1928) who is one of the founders of the modern Orissa state

After graduation, he obtained his Law degree and joined the Bar. But soon he left his legal profession to devoted himself completely to the service of the people of Orissa. Along with his illustrious friends, Nilakantha Das, Godavarish Mishra, Acharya Harihar Das and Krupasindhu Misra, he started a school at Satyabadi (Presently - Sakhigopal) near Puri, which became the most important center of cultural activities of Orissa for decades. 

He championed the cause of the formation of the Orissa state for the Oriya speaking people, started the Satyabadi (a literary monthly) and the Samaja (a weekly which later became the most widely circulated daily newspaper of Orissa) and joined the Freedom Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Today, Samaja is one of the biggest selling oriya daily in the State of Orissa as well as outside Orissa.

He was a great Orator and his speeches made at various stages showed his excellent style of oratory as well as clarity of thought & concern for poor. He was the father of Modern Oriya Journalism. His essays on education prove that he was an educationist of great insight and understanding.

He longed to be a poet from his childhood. He absorbed himself in a lot of social activities & had very little time for his literary activities. Yet when he was jailed in hajaribagh during 1922-24, for participating in Indian Freedom movement, he wrote Bandira Atmakatha (The soliloquy of a Prisoner) and Dharmapada. The first one is his expression of his deep love for peoples of Orissa, and the later was the story of a twelve year old artisan boy who, after completing the Konark Temple, drowned himself in sea to save the lives & prestige of twelve hundred artisans of Orissa. His sincerity of feelings, & diction still touches the heart of people of Orissa.

Some of his favorite quotes are "Misu Mora Deha Ee Desa Matire, Desabasi chali jaantu pithire", "Pachha Ghuncha Nahin Birara Jatake (The valiant never retreats), "Raha Raha Kshyane Vaspiya Sakata", Dekhibi Chilika Charu Chitrapata (A poem dedicated to the beauty of Chilika Lake).

Gopabandhu Das was born in Swando village of Puri district in Orissa. He is often refered to as the Father of Modern Orissa. He was conferred the honorary title of Utkalamani (The jewel of Utkal/Orissa) by the people of Orissa.

http://orissagov.nic.in/eminent/eminent.htm
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