Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha government has made a noteworthy decision by deciding to erect monuments of notable individuals at different locations around the state. There are rumors that the Odisha Language, Literature, and Culture Department made the official decision to build and install these sculptures.
“A meeting chaired by Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj was held to discuss the proposals received from various public representatives, distinguished individuals and district administrations. After detailed deliberations, a list was prepared for the construction and installation of the statues of these personalities in different parts of the state,” informed a statement issued by the Culture dept on Wednesday.
The agency also said that the Kendrapara district will host a monument of the renowned devotional singer Bhajan Samrat Bhikari Bal. Similar to this, the government plans to erect statues of the well-known liberation warrior Dharmasingh Mandhata Majhi in Balangir, the poet Kuntala Kumari Sabat, who is a woman, and poet Shekhar Chintamani Mohanty in Bhubaneswar. at the meantime, a statue of Kabisamrat Upendra Bhanja, one of the most well-known poets of medieval Odisha, is going to be built at Berhampur, Ganjam district. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former prime minister, will have statues built in Sambalpur and Cuttack.
The statue of Odisha’s greatest independence warrior, Veer Surendra Sai, will be erected at Sambalpur. The government has also chosen to build statues of the renowned Buddhist scholar Diganaga in the Puri district’s Delang region, Gangadhar Meher in Bargarh, Fakir Mohan Senapati and BaghaJatin in Balasore, and Bajirao in the Dhenkanal district’s Bhuban area. According to the idea, the first Odia Shankaracharya Shridhara Swami and the Hindu monk and head of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, who was brutally assassinated in 2008, would also have their statues put shortly.
“These great personalities have played a pivotal role in shaping our independence and identity. Through their writings, they have enriched the Odia language and literature, while also upholding the values of Odisha’s culture and heritage. Their contributions, whether in the fight for independence or the preservation of language and culture, are invaluable and a source of perpetual respect. These personalities are an enduring inspiration for the youth,” said the culture minister.
In order to ensure that their memory is preserved for future generations, he went on, the state government has given priority to the creation and placement of these sculptures in various locations throughout Odisha.
