By Our Correspondent
BHUBANSWAR/NEW Delhi: Bande Utkala Janani’ gets Odisha’s State anthem status. The proposal was passed in Odisha Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Bande Utkala Janani’, which means “I bow to thee Mother Utkala”, is an ode to the land of Utkala (ancient name of modern-day Odisha). The song is unique in its form and content. Time in and time out the song has stirred the souls of proud Odias.
“Bande Utkala Janani has been officially announced as Odisha’s State Anthem by the decision of the Odisha Cabinet held today. I thank Hon’ble CM Shri. Naveen Patnaik for making this come true. Truly, a historic day for Odisha,” twitted BJD Rajya Sabha MP Dr Sasmit Patra
‘Bande Utkala Janani’, penned by Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra, underlines the spirit of indomitable Odisha. The song portrays its splendid natural beauty, its past glory, God’s bounty to the State, its holy shrines; its arts, crafts and heritage; its history, culture and literature; its rich tradition and its peaceful social living in the most vivid forms.Kantakabi Laxmikanta wrote the song around the same time when Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana, which later became the national anthem of India.
Kantakabi penned the evocative song in the midst of two prolonged movements – the Freedom movement of India and the movement for separate Odisha province. Bande Utkala Janani was used as a powerful weapon by Utkal Sammilani, a socio-cultural organisation that spearheaded the movement for creation of Odisha as a separate province. The song inspired a whole generation of freedom fighters of Odisha to fight against the British.
The song was first sung in the Puri Session of Utkala Samilani in 1908, three years before Jana Gana Mana was sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.Four years later, the song was sung at the Utkala Sammilani General Session at Balasore in 1912. Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das and Utkala Gaurav Madhusudan Das were among those who were present on that occasion. Gopabandhu, who was presiding over Utkala Sammilani, was so moved by the song that at the end of the session he hugged a young Laxmikanta with tears of joy coming out of his eyes.
