Bhubaneswar: The seventh Odisha State Book Festival commenced at Unit-3 Exhibition Grounds here on Saturday with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurating the event and declaring a personal commitment to promote book-gifting as a social custom.
The twelve-day festival, featuring 550 stalls and a pavilion dedicated to the Barputras (sons of the soil), will continue until December 17. The inaugural ceremony commenced with a welcome speech by Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, Secretary of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department.
Addressing a gathering of literary figures, writers, and book lovers, the Chief Minister underscored the historical significance of the Odia language. He cited evidence of its antiquity, including the Hathigumpha inscriptions of the 1st century BC and the Dhauli and Jaugardh records of the 3rd century, stating that it is the collective responsibility of the people to develop and preserve the literature of this ancient language.
The Chief Minister also shared his deep personal affinity for reading, revealing that he has collected between 5,000 and 6,000 books, which he maintains as a private library.
Challenging the literary community, Majhi called upon writers to research and document the stories of “neglected and unexamined children,” urging that these narratives be brought to public attention through books. Praising the work of Jnanpith awardee Dr. Pratibha Ray, specifically her book Yagya Seni, the Chief Minister announced his decision to adopt the practice of gifting books to everyone and encouraged all citizens to buy and gift books instead of flowers, saying that books awaken consciousness and will lead to a new possibility for Odia language literature by increasing the readership and encouraging writers.
Minister of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Suryabanshi Suraj stated that books are worshipped and considered God, having always influenced human consciousness. He encouraged children to reduce their mobile usage and dedicate more time to reading. Ekamra, Bhubaneswar MLA Shri Babu Singh noted the growth of the event from a mere fair to a festival, calling it an important program to keep the youth connected with books.
Dr. Pratibha Ray, lauded language and fire as the two amazing events in human history, describing books as mankind’s greatest friends that awaken inner consciousness. She acknowledged the efforts of the state government, which she said have made the fair the biggest book fair in India for the last two years, and appealed to the youth to celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day as Book Day.
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister and other guests released several new books including Colonel Sarat Mohapatra’s Operation Sindoor, Dr. Panchanan Nayak’s De, Badri Mohapatra’s Murchhit Moksha, Bimala Singh’s Jhara Shravan, Dash Benhur’s Odia Children’s Literature, some reviews, and various books published by the Odia Language Institute and the Odisha Sahitya Academy.
The Chief Minister also visited the stalls, purchasing books, and paid tribute at the pavilion dedicated to the Barputras. The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Debaprasad Dash, Special Secretary of the Department.
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