Visit to Satyabhamapur

 

(The house where Madhusudan was born)

23^rd August, 2026. The IMD had predicted deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. The sky was overcast. It was drizzling in the morning. The editor Lekhalekhi had organized a literary meet in Purusottampur, the village of Katha Samrat Surendra Mohanty, to release the September issue of the magazine. Lopamudra Mohanty, the daughter of the great writer would be the chief guest.

We started from Bhubaneswar at 10 in the morning; Paresh Patnaik, Pradipta Behura editor, Lekhalekhi and I, in the car driven by Srikant Patra, a friend and an associate of Pradipta. Sri Krushna Nayak, editor, ‘Shree’, a literary magazine joined us in Rasulgarh.

We reached Paga, 15 kms from Cuttack. Sadasiv Dash, Poet and Publisher, Chitrotpala and Poet Srinibas Sahoo were waiting for us. Dr. Manoranjan Mohanty and his writer wife, Smruti Patnaik joined us. Sadasiv garlanded the statue of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan in the Paga square. Then, we proceeded to Satyabhamapur.  

          (Statue of Madhusudan in his village Satyabhamapur)

Satyabhamapur, the village of Utkal Gourav was 3.5 kms from Paga. Writers from Cuttack, Rumjhum Nayak, Sujata Mohapatra and Baijayanti Misra reached just after we arrived at the village. Poet and Publisher Chandramani Bhuyan, Poet Nikhilesh Mohanty, Poet Khageswar Mohanty, Poet and Researcher, Rajeev Sadangi were there waiting for us. We paid tribute to Madhusudan at his birth place.

Madhusudan had embraced Christianity when he studied in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was socially ostracized. When he came to his village he was not allowed to enter into his home. He stayed in a separate house. But, when he came to the village, he touched the feet of his mother. The villagers debarred his mother to use the common pond as she, they said, was polluted by touch of a Christian. Madhusadan dug a separate pond exclusively for use of his mother. Sadasiv Dash showed us the pond. Mahatma Gandhi visited the village on 23.05.1934 and became guest of Madhusudan. He had slept the night on the terrace of the building.

        (The building where Mahatma Gandhi stayed, and slept on its terrace in the night)

We came back to Purusottampur. Paresh Patnaik garlanded the statue of Surendra Mohanty. 

               (Statue of Surendra Mohanty in Purusottampur, his village)

The magazine, Lekhalekhi was released by Lopamudra Mohanty, Sadasiv Dash and others. Informal discussion began over cups of tea and biscuits. Pradipta Behura discussed the details of the magazine, the writers and their writings published in the September issue. Lopamudra Mohanty spoke about the village, the villagers who were close to her father, the Katha Samrat, and about her book, ‘Lokapua Suria’, the biography of Surendra Mohanty. Sadasiv Dash and Rajeev Sadangi deliberated on the rich history and literary tradition of the region.

                                     (Poets and Writers)

The lunch, hosted by Lopamudra Mohanty was delicious. The meeting ended, and we came back to Bhubaneswar.

(Lopamudra Mohanty flanked by Sahadev Sahoo, Pradipta Behura, Smruti Patnaik and Paresh Patnaik)

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