A 15-feet-tall life-size statue of Vyasakavi Fakir Mohan Senapati made of bronze was unveiled by Minister of Higher Education and Industries Ananta Das at Baleswar on Friday.
The statue installed at Shanti Kanan, the birthplace of Fakir Mohan, one of the prominent promoters of modern Odia language and literature, was inaugurated even as his 101st death anniversary was observed across the State.
Fakir Mohan is known as “Sankranti Purush” as he took birth on Makara Sankranti and died on Raja Sankranti. Both these occasions are observed only on Sankranti not barring the dates.
During the statue inaugural meeting, local MP RK Jena, MlA JP Dash and Municipality Chairman Alok Sahu, Secretary and Director of Culture Department Manoranjan Panigrahi, district Collector Ramesh Chandra Rout and members of the Fakir Mohan Sahitya Parishad were present.
Around Rs 12 lakh was spent on making the statue by a group of six artisans.
It may be noted that Shati Kanan has two statues of Fakir Mohan earlier, one life size and stated to be have been made by Fakir Mohan himself during his lifetime, and a bust. The present one is the third statue.