CUTTACK: Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare has advocated Heritage Building status to the Sri Ram Chandra Bhawan here by the State Government to attract tourists and visitors for gaining knowledge on the great literary heritage and activities of the State. He has also suggested equipping the Bhawan with light and sound facility. The Sri Ram Chandra Bhawan was built in 1928 with contributions of princely states, particularly the state of Mayurbhanj. The building and its hall had spearheaded several literary movements in the State.
The Governor visited the hall today to unveil an oil portrait of Barrister Govind Das. Lauding the efforts of Utkal Sahitya Samaj in putting up portraits of famous Oriya poets, playwrights, novelists and orators, he said that this hall of fame of Oriya literature will continue to inspire present and future generations.
The Governor recalled his five-decade long association with Barrister Das saying as a lawyer, his knowledge of law was the best. His book `In quest of Justice’ is still ranked among the top 10 law books in India. “As a writer, he created a distinct identity for himself with the novel `Amabasyara Chandra’, a milestone in Oriya literature”, he said and urged the Samaj to take initiative for translation of his famous novel into English and other languages.
Among others, Samaj president Annada Shankar Ray, vice-president Dr. Satya Ray, general secretary Sanjeet Kumar Patnaik and wife of late Govind Das, Shanti Das were present.