The first servitor (Adya Sevak) of Lord Jagannath, the Gajapati Maharaja doesn’t need a kingdom on his own. As the close aide of the Lord of the Universe, the entire universe is under his spiritual governance, observed renowned scholar Dr Karan Singh.
Gracing the release ceremony of the book “Gajapati: A King without a Kingdom” as the chief guest Dr Singh mentioned that in spite of several ups and downs witnessed by Odisha, the Gajapati retains his supreme stature intact and his prime position remains unaffected.
Addressing the book launching function as guest of honour, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb attempted to define the proposition of Gajapati as statecraft to legitimise the authority to rule the people as a part of divine duty. Explaining that Gajapati finds its origin in Skanda Purana, Maharaja Deb advised to visualise the position in the light of the Vedic culture of India where its roots lies.
Lauding the monumental, historic and contemporary significance of the book, guest speaker, distinguished diplomat Amarendra Khatua outlined the role of Gajapati as gigantic in the living tradition and vibrant
culture of Odisha. Hosted jointly by the Konark Publishers and the Odisha Forum at the India International Centre, New Delhi, the event was attended by hundreds of dignitaries. Delivering his welcome speech president of Odisha Forum Gokul Patnaik described the occasion as historic because of the strange coincidences of both Karan Singh and Dibyasingh Deb becoming Maharajas at the tender age of 17 and both of them sharing any stage together for the first time.
Author of the book, former IRS officer Ashok Bal gave a brief introduction and insight about the book written in English language.