Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced that Gurujang village near Talcher in Anugola district, the birthplace of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, will be developed as a ‘Heritage Village’, while the Gurujang panchayat will be developed as a ‘Model Panchayat’.
The Chief Minister made the announcement while attending a programme organised at Gurujang to mark the birth centenary of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
Addressing the gathering, Majhi described Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati as not merely an individual but a great ideal, spiritual institution and guiding force of Sanatan Dharma. He said the Swami had renounced a life of comfort and devoted himself to serving tribal communities in the remote and forested areas of Kandhamal.
The Chief Minister said Swami Laxmanananda established ashrams at Chakapada and Jalespata, besides setting up a girls’ gurukul, through which tribal girls were provided Sanskrit education and values aimed at making them self-reliant.
“Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati is the ‘Guru, Grantha and Garima’ of our society,” Majhi said, highlighting his contribution to education, social service and cultural awareness.
Majhi said the State government has taken several decisions to honour the Swami’s contribution and preserve his legacy. The Phulbani Government Medical College has been renamed the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Medical College.
The government has also sanctioned Rs 13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance (CMSA) fund for the development and heritage conservation of Jalespata Ashram, the ashram school and Kanyashram associated with Swami Laxmanananda.
Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 5 crore will be utilised to construct a 300-seat girls’ hostel, while Rs 3 crore will be spent on heritage conservation. A mega river-lift project will also be implemented to ensure drinking water supply in the area.
Recalling the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on the night of Janmashtami in 2008, the Chief Minister criticised what he described as the failure, negligence and appeasement politics of the then government.
Majhi alleged that the disappearance of files and reports related to the Justice Mahapatra Commission and Justice Naidu Commission, which had investigated the Swami’s murder, from Lok Seva Bhavan was a deliberate conspiracy to protect those responsible.
The Chief Minister assured the people of Odisha that justice would be delivered for every drop of the Swami’s blood and that the truth behind his killing would be brought to light.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently respected Swami Laxmanananda’s service and commitment to Sanatan values. According to Majhi, the Swami’s philosophy of Antyodaya is reflected in Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.
Majhi also urged the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, to remain connected with their roots, education, culture, Vedas, Sanskrit, cow protection and Sanatan traditions, and contribute to nation-building with patriotism and courage.
Former Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, who attended the centenary celebration, thanked the Chief Minister for announcing Gurujang as a Heritage Village and the Gurujang panchayat as a Model Panchayat.
Pradhan said the decision was a fitting tribute to the memory of Swami Laxmanananda and would further strengthen the spiritual and cultural significance of the region.
He described the Swami as a pioneer of education, social awareness and value-based development in tribal areas. Pradhan said Swami Laxmanananda worked in difficult and remote areas such as Kandhamal to promote self-reliance and restore the dignity of tribal communities.
He also highlighted the Swami’s work through the Jalespata and Chakapada ashrams, particularly his efforts to provide Sanskrit education and moral values to tribal girls.
Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy also recalled the spiritual and social contributions of Swami Laxmanananda and urged people, especially young citizens, to draw inspiration from his life, sacrifice and struggle.
The centenary celebration was attended by Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, MPs Rudra Narayan Pani and Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, Parjang MLA Bibhuti Bhushan Pradhan, Pallahara MLA Ashok Mohanty, Hindol MLA Seemarani Nayak, Swami Jiban Muktananda, Swami Sachchidananda Maharaj, several saints and dignitaries, besides thousands of devotees from across Odisha.
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