biography essay on gopabandhu das in odia

Incredible Odisha

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das – The Gem of Odisha

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das also known as the “Gem of Odisha” was an Indian freedom fighter, social reformer, and journalist from Odisha, who dedicated his life to the betterment of his fellow Odias. He was born on October 9, 1877 , in the village of Satyabhamapur in the district of Puri, Odisha. Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das passed away on 17th June 1928 . In this article, we will look at Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das’s life story, Contribution to the freedom struggle and family details.

Page Contents

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das Details

Here are the key details about Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das:

Note: The above table includes only a few of the many contributions and achievements of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das Early Life Story and History

From a young age, Gopabandhu was deeply committed to social service. As a student, he founded a voluntary corps, the Puri Seva Samiti, to provide aid to cholera victims. This movement eventually led to the establishment of a separate hospital for cholera patients in Puri. Gopabandhu attended Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, where he formed the Kartavya Bodhini Samiti to encourage his peers to take on social, economic, and political issues.

While pursuing his law degree in Kolkata, Gopabandhu established a labour union and night schools for Odia labourers and cooks. He became involved with the Vande Mataram group and was inspired to reform society by improving the education system. He joined the Indian National Congress and became the founder president of the Utkala Sammilani in 1903. He was imprisoned several times for his participation in the Indian independence movement.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was also a pioneering educator, establishing the Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya in 1909, an open-air school known for its diversified curriculum, community approach to living and learning, and emphasis on social service. His innovations at the school were later adopted by American educator John Dewey and popularized around the world. He assembled a team of dedicated, patriotic teachers, known as the “Big Five”, who were instrumental in the socio-cultural renaissance and national education in Odisha.

As a journalist, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was a pioneer of Odia journalism and made it accessible to the common man. He founded the monthly magazine “Satyabadi” in 1914 and the weekly newspaper “ The Samaja ” in 1919, which became the most popular newspaper in Odisha. Gopabandhu’s literary works, including his poems and novels, were marked by nationalistic fervour and encouraged young people to work towards national integration.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das’s selflessness and dedication to the people of Odisha were evident in his actions throughout his life. He would often put the needs of others before his own, even at the expense of his own health. He died on June 17, 1928, while attending a fundraiser in Lahore for flood victims in Odisha. Gopabandhu’s contributions to the Indian independence movement, social reform, and education continue to be remembered and celebrated in Odisha, and he is fondly remembered as the “Utkalmani” or “Gem of Odisha”.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das – The Freedom Fighter

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was a well-known freedom fighter, journalist, and social reformer from Odisha. He played an instrumental role in the Indian independence movement and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He was deeply committed to the cause of Indian freedom, and actively participated in non-violent protests against British rule.

Gopabandhu’s political journey began with Utkala Sammilani in 1903, but he encouraged others to merge this with the National Congress to make the Odia movement a part of the Indian National Movement. This led to him becoming the founder president of Congress in Odisha. He was imprisoned several times for his participation in the freedom struggle.

Gopabandhu’s writings, speeches, and political activities were focused on the upliftment of the people of Odisha and the freedom of India from British rule. He was a strong advocate of non-violence and believed in the power of peaceful protest to bring about change. He also played a key role in bringing the Congress Party to Odisha and was able to inspire a large number of people in the state to join the freedom movement.

One of his famous contributions to the freedom struggle was during the Non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22, where he led the movement in Odisha and was arrested for his participation in it. He also took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das’s contributions to the freedom struggle were not just limited to political activities. He also used his position as a journalist to raise awareness about the Indian independence movement and to mobilize support for it. He published a monthly magazine called ‘Satyabadi’ in 1914 and started the weekly newspaper The Samaja in 1919, which became the most popular newspaper in Odisha.

Consider reading: Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das Family Details

Gopabandhu Das, revered as ‘Utkalmani’ (Jewel of Orissa), was born into a middle-class family on October 9, 1877 , in the small village of Suando, Puri district, Orissa. His father, Sri Daitari Das , was a Mukhtiar (a type of lawyer) and his mother was Srimati Swarnamayee Devi .

He had an elder brother, Sri Narayan Das . Despite their humble origins, Gopabandhu’s family provided a nurturing environment, influencing his early life and education significantly. His father’s legal practice in the locality and his early education in the village pathsala laid the foundation for his later achievements and humanitarian work.

Gopabandhu Das’s personal life was marked by profound tragedies and deep commitments to social service. At the young age of twenty-eight, he suffered the loss of his wife. Before this, he had also experienced the heartbreak of losing all three of his sons. Despite these personal losses, Gopabandhu Das remained dedicated to his vision of social reform and educational development.

Gopabandhu Das had two daughters, whom he entrusted to the care of his elder brother, along with a share of his property in the village. This decision reflected his commitment to a life of service over personal or familial interests. Gopabandhu Das chose not to remarry, even when he was of marriageable age, further demonstrating his extraordinary dedication to the greater societal good​​.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das’s Hobby

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was a man of many talents and interests. One of his hobbies was writing. He was a prolific writer, and his literary works, including his poems and novels, were marked by nationalistic fervour and encouraged young people to work towards national integration.

While in Hazaribagh Jail in 1922-24, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das wrote a heart-touching novel called ‘Bandira Atmakatha’ (Biography of a Prisoner) expressing his love for the people of Odisha. He also wrote several other literary works such as ‘Abakasha Chinta’, ‘Go-Mahatmay’, ‘Nachiketa Upakhyana’, ‘Karakabita’ and ‘Dharmapada’.

Another hobby of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was teaching. He was a pioneering educator and established the Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya in 1909, an open-air school known for its diversified curriculum, community approach to living and learning, and emphasis on social service. He assembled a team of dedicated, patriotic teachers, known as the “Big Five”, who were instrumental in the socio-cultural renaissance and national education in Odisha.

He was also an avid reader, he loved reading books on various subjects like literature, history, philosophy, and social science.

FAQs on Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das

Who was utkalmani gopabandhu das.

Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das was an Indian freedom fighter, social reformer, and journalist from Odisha. He was also known as the “Gem of Odisha” for his contributions to the Indian independence movement, education and journalism.

When and where was Gopabandhu Das born?

Gopabandhu Das was born on October 9, 1877 in the village of Satyabhamapur in the district of Puri, Odisha.

What was Gopabandhu Das’ role in the Indian independence movement?

Gopabandhu Das was an active participant in the Indian independence movement. He was a member of the Indian National Congress and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He actively participated in non-violent protests against British rule and played a key role in bringing the Congress party to Odisha

What were Gopabandhu Das’ contributions to education and journalism?

Gopabandhu Das was a pioneering educator and established the Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya, an open-air school known for its diversified curriculum, community approach to living and learning, and emphasis on social service. He was also a prominent journalist and published a monthly magazine called ‘Satyabadi’ in 1914 and started the weekly newspaper ‘The Samaja’ in 1919, which became the most popular newspaper in Odisha.

What were Gopabandhu Das’ hobbies?

Gopabandhu Das was a man of many talents and interests. He was a prolific writer and an avid reader. He loved writing poetry, novels, and other literary works. He was also a passionate teacher and educator.

When did Gopabandhu Das pass away?

Gopabandhu Das passed away on June 17, 1928. He fell ill while attending a fundraiser in Lahore for the flood victims of Odisha and never recovered from the illness.

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• Know about the life, struggles, commitment and sukarmas of this Gem of Odisha, Gopabandhu Das.

Misu Mora Deha E Desha Matire, Desa Basi Chali Jaantu Pithire. Desa Ra Swarajya Pathe Jete Gada, Puru Tahin Padi Mora Mansa Hada

“Let my body blend in this county’s track,

Let my countrymen walk on my back.

On the path of self-rule lies potholes,

Let it get filled with my flesh, bones.” Gopabandhu Das

A great devotee of Lord Jagannath, great patriot, lawyer, reformer, scholar, educationist, visionary, journalist, legislator, humanitarian and idealist- Gopabandhu had many achievements to his credit. He was a worshipper of truth, love and peace, and dedicated his life for the service of the country. A frontline worker of Utkal Sammilani (a premier social and cultural outfit of Odisha) and a champion of the cause of statehood of Odisha, he was also a member of the Servants of the People Society founded by Lala Lajpat Rai. 

First published in Journal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan.

Gopabandhu Das (1877-1928) belonged to that genre of freedom fighters, social workers and educationists who are so idealistic that they seem far from real. He was born in Suando, a little village on the banks of the river Bhargabhi in Puri district to Swarnamayee Devi and Daitari Dash, pious middle-class Brahmins. He did his Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, and completed his Bachelor of Law degree from Ripon College, Kolkata. He worked as a teacher and as a lawyer for a brief period.

At the time, common people in India were oppressed by Britishers and zamindars, and they were also suffering due to poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and blind faith. In addition to this, some states like Odisha had to face disasters (both natural and manmade) such as floods, cyclones and famines.

In the second half of the 19th century, the political consciousness of Indians was awakened due to many factors like the rise of the intellectual middleclass, the propagation of progressive ideas through papers, journals, periodicals, etc., communication through postal service and the road and railway network that connected different parts of the country. Odisha, like other regions in the country, was influenced by this political awakening.

Odisha then was not a province in itself; the region was divided between Bengal, Bihar and Madras Presidency . People in Odisha agitated for a separate province of Odia-speaking people and an organisation named Utkal Sammilani was formed. The great leaders of Odisha put in their best effort to get this demand fulfilled and when the first meeting of Utkal Sammilani was held in 1903, Gopabandhu joined as a volunteer and became a great pillar of the movement. On April 19, 1919, he delivered the Presidential address of the Sammilani held in Cuttack.  Odisha was declared as a separate state in April 1936 . Unfortunately, Gopabandhu did not live to see this political achievement.

Long before he met Gandhiji, Gopabandhu was fighting to eradicate untouchability and illiteracy. He had great sympathy for and helped the Dalits, the poor and destitute people. He took up the cause of women’s education in Odisha and attacked social traditions that prevented women from pursuing their studies. He was a foremost leader of Odisha in the country’s freedom movement and he played a major role in bringing Odisha into the mainstream of the freedom struggle. He attended the Indian National Congress for a few years prior to joining the Congress in 1920.

Gopabandhu brought the National Congress to Odisha. He was the first president of the provincial Congress committee. He was highly impressed by Gandhiji’s principle of non-violence. When Mahatma Gandhi came to Odisha for the first time on March 23, 1921, a mammoth public meeting was held on the riverbed of Kathajodi in Cuttack where about 50,000 people attended. Gopabandhu not only welcomed Gandhiji to Odisha, he also delivered the introductory speech. He was always with Gandhiji, looking after him and his associates. His devoted leadership in the Non-Cooperation Movement impressed Gandhiji so much that the latter paid a heartfelt tribute on Gopabandhu’s demise on June 17, 1928.

In his weekly journal Young India, he wrote, ‘Today I lost a very close sahayogi (associate).’ While delivering a lecture on the banks of the Mahanadi river in Sambalpur, Gandh paid another memorable tribute to Gopabandhu.   

Gopabandhu understood the value of education from the very beginning and established a residential school which was open to students of every caste, creed, religion and status. Four of his highly educated friends-Nilakantha Das, Acharya Harihar, Krupasindhu Mishra and Godavarish Mishra-joined the school, leaving their highly lucrative jobs behind. The five of them together were known as ‘ Pancha Sakha of Satyabadi ’ (Five Comrades of Satyabadi). All of them were great freedom fighters, writers, teachers and samaj sanskarak (social workers). When Gandhiji visited the Satyabadi Bana Vidyalaya (as the school was called), he was deeply impressed. The service to the sick and the poor by the students touched his heart. The school was not just a place where children were educated, but a space where good human beings were moulded.

Gopabandhu was aware of the importance of print media. He knew that through this tool, he could make people understand the strengths and weaknesses of their society and make them aware of current political events affecting the nation. Initially, he started a monthly magazine, Satyabadi. Then in 1919, he started a weekly paper, Samaj , which later became a daily. It was one of the better known dailies of India and Gopabandhu was its editor till he breathed his last. 

He was a social worker since his school days, serving the poor, the sick and the needy. When he was a student in Puri, Gopabandhu used to organise a group of his schoolmates to serve the sick pilgrims who used to come to Puri during the chariot festival of Lord Jagannath.

Once when his young son was very ill, Gopabandhu went to serve the flood-affected people in the interior villages, carrying the bare necessities. His relatives implored him not to leave the child. “You all are here, including the doctor, to look after the child. If I do not go, who will look after the thousands of destitutes?” Saying so, he went and served them. Sadly, his son died before his return home.  

Some of our greatest freedom fighters were literary stalwarts and Gopabandhu was no exception. His prose and poetry marked a new era in the history of Odia literature. Some of his best books are Dharmapada , Kara Kabita and Bandir Atmakatha (The Autobiography of a prisoner).

Gopabandhu was named ‘ Utkal Mani ’ (Gem of Odisha) by the great scientist Prafulla Chandra Roy. However, Gopabandhu was the gem of not just Odisha but also of India. He believed that when every part of India develops then only will she progress as a whole. As a leader and as a freedom fighter of the nation, he made many sacrifices. He was arrested and imprisoned for two years as he had led the Non- Cooperation Movement. 

In Suando, his house, Sathighar, is like any other rural middle-class house, built on a high platform. The place of his birth is very well preserved by his dedicated descendants. All his possessions are kept as before. On the exact spot of his birth, a golden-coloured statue of Gopabandhu in sitting posture has been installed. His place of worship is intact even after 144 years. 

The 17th century poet and saint Tukaram, in one of his dohe (couplets), described a godly man in the following manner: ‘The one who helps oppressed and downtrodden in society, redresses their grievances and stands by them in their time of difficulties is no less than any saint or so, he is no different from God.’

Gopabandhu was such a man. He may have lived for 51 years only, but he left an undeniable impression through his multifarious activities.

This article was first published in the Bhavan’s Journal, December 15, 2021 issue. This article is courtesy and copyright Bhavan’s Journal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai-400007. eSamskriti has obtained permission from Bhavan’s Journal to share. Do subscribe to the Bhavan’s Journal – it is very good.

• Utkal Sammilani
• Freedom Fighter Odisha
• Freedom Fighter India
• Gem of Odisha
• Social Reformer Odisha
• Poet Odisha
• History Odisha

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Gopabandhu Das (1877-1928) was a symbol of Oriya identity, popularly known as Utkal Mani, he devoted his entire life to the cause of Orissa, in particular, and India, in general. The environment of his time conditioned his thinking and inspired him to restore the lost glory of Orissa. The period was marked by awakening of nationalist forces in Orissa, the introduction of western education and rise of Indian Renaissance. Gopabandhu was born on 9th October, 1877 in a village called Suando in Satyabadi Police Station in the district of Puri. He lost his mother after his birth and it created a void in his heart. He started his education in the village Pathashala. He developed interest in writing poems from childhood. During his school days in Puri Zilla School, he came in close contact with M. Rama Chandra Das, a man of impeccable character and intense patriotism, who infused in him a strong sense of dedication to public service. Under his influence, he was imbuded with deep sense of patriotism. During his studentship in the school, Cholera broke out during the car-festival of Lord Jagannath which took away heavy toll of lives. Gopabandhu organised his friends and formed Puri Seva Samiti. This was his first experience in public service. While pursuing his study in the Ravenshaw College, he alongwith his friends like Brajasunder Das and Acharya Harihar Das made a commitment to serve the poor and the destitutes. While his son was seriously ill, he got the report of flood in the interior area of the district. He ignored the serious illness of his son and went to the flood affected people to provide them relief. During his absence, his son died. He said : There are so many to look after my son. What more can I do ? But there are so many people crying for help in the affected areas and it is my duty to go there. Lord Jagannath is here to take care of the boy.Further, the day he got the news of his success in Law Examination, Calcutta, his wife died. He was having unique personality of simplicity, sacrifice, tolerance and commitment. Gopabandhu started his career as a lawyer at Puri. In 1909, Madhusudan Das, appointed him as the State pleader of the State of Mayurbhanj. Maharaja Shri Rama Chandra Bhanja Deo had high regards for him. As an educationist, Gopabandhu realised that without education, people would not be conscious of their freedom and duty towards nation. In this regard, he was greatly influenced by the work of the Deccan Education Society under the leadership of Gopal Krishna Gokhale. As a result, a school was established at Satyabadi in the district of Puri. Gopabandhu bacame the Secretary of the school. The reputed intellectuals of that time like Pandit Nilakantha Das, Pandit Godavarish Misra, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra, Pandit Basudev Mohapatra and Shri Ramachandra Rath offered their service. Teaching was imparted in a natural environment i.e. under the shades of trees. The students were taught the values of secularism,nationalism and idealism. What deserves a special mention that the dignity of labour became the principle of life for both the students and teachers. Gopabandhu set up a fund called The Orissa Education Fund with Mr. Labert, the Principal of Ravenshaw College as the treasurer. He was a member of the senate and syndicate of the Patna University. His model of education was a combination of ideals of both western and Indian model of education. As regards his political career, Gopabandhu was a member of the Old Bihar and Orissa Legislative Council for four years from 1917 to 1920. He emphasised on four major problems, viz, (a) amalgamation of all the Oriyaspeaking tracts (b) permanent measures for the prevention of floods and famines in Orissa (c) the restoration of Oriya’s right to manufacture salt free from excise duty and (d) spread of education on Satyabadi model. Gopabandhu regularly attended and participated in the annual meeting of the Utkal Sammilani. He was elected as its President in 1919. He gave a broader definition of ‘Oriya’ - any well wisher of Orissa is an Oriya. His resolution to accept the aims and objects of the Indian National Congress as the part of Utkal Sammilani was approved at Chakradharpur Session. Gopabandhu was the first leader of Orissa to organise the Orissa Provincial Committee. He became the first president of the Congress party in Orissa and brought Gandhiji to Orissa in 1921 to further the cause of Non-Cooperation Movement. He was arrested by police in 1921 and again imprisoned for two years in 1922. He was released from Hazaribagh jail on 26th June, 1924. Subhash Bose rightly called him the father of the national movement in Orissa. Besides, he was also the pioneer of Press Freedom in Orissa. He established Oriya Daily The Samaj. On the request of Lala Lajpat Rai, he became a member of Servant of People Society. In 1928, he was elected as the VicePresident of the society. He laid stress on language as the foundation of unity. Oneness of language makes the unity stronger. To him, language is at the root of thought and civilisation. The unity of language ensures the unity of thought. As such the civilisation can not but be one and homogenous. He championed the cause of Oriya literature. Gopabandhu was a great social reformer and harbinger of a new social order. His crusade against untouchability, advocacy of widow remarriage, campaign for literacy, new model of education, stress on both rights and duties, emphasis on women education, particularly vocational training and above all a deep commitment and compassion for poor and destitutes have immortalised him in Orissa and India.

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Gopabandhu Das on Non-Cooperation Movement in Orissa

On September 1st, 1920, Mahatma Gandhi called the Non-Cooperation Movement to demand Swaraj. Born in Puri, Odisha, the noted litterateur and freedom fighter Gopabandhu Das worked tirelessly to unite the people of Odisha for the movement and wrote extensively about the struggle in his newspaper Samaj. In December 1920, Gopabandhu Das wrote an essay on the historic success of the Non-Cooperation Movement in Odisha in his newspaper Samaj. According to him, this success vindicated his belief in the moral rectitude of the masses, and their commitment to justice. He pointed to the example of the recently held legislative council elections, where less than 20% of the eligible voters cast their ballots. He highlighted that this near-total boycott of the elections was observed by people across social and religious lines. Fondly known as Utkalmani, Gopabandhu Dash tried to focus the politics of Odisha on the freedom struggle. The success of the non-cooperation movement was one of its fruits.

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Pandit Gopabandhu Das was born on 9 October 1877 in Suando village in the district of Puri to Daitari Dash and Swarnamayee Devi. He had his early education in his village school and in Rupdeipur Minor school. Thereafter he went to Puri Zila School where he passed the Entrance examination in 1899. Then he came to Cuttack and took admitted to Ravenshaw College and completed his graduation in 1904. Though he took admitted in both post-graduation and Law in Calcutta, he could not continue his post-graduation but completed the law degree only. He first joined as a headmaster in Nilagiri High School but thereafter came to Cuttack to start his law business there and in Puri. For some time he was also appointed as a pleader for the state of Mayurbhanj but quit the job to make himself available full time for political activities and social work. Considering education to be the potential instrument of national development he wanted to prepare the youths with sterling qualities of head, heart, and hand. He, therefore, started a school in Satyabadi in line with ancient Gurukul tradition which became a National School during the non-cooperation movement. Though his actual goal was a separate state of Odisha he merged that movement with congress’ non-cooperation program. Thus all the members of Satyabadi joined congress which became the hotbed of the non-cooperation movement in Odisha. In fact, the branches of Satyabadi National school were opened in Sambalpur, Chakradharpur, and Bahadagoda where its members Nilakantha Das, Godavarish Mishra, and Krupasindhu Mishra went to spread the message of non-cooperation with the objective of imparting such education which would make the student a complete human being inculcated with the true spirit of nationalism. He was the President of the Orissa Congress Committee from 1920 to 1928. After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement, he was arrested in 1922 and lodged in Hazaribagh jail for two years. But after his release in 1924, he started the campaign to spread the message of charkha and other constructive programs of Congress. At the request of Lala Lajpat Rai, he joined the Servant of Peoples Society and implemented its various programs. With the encouragement and sponsorship of Hindu Mahasabha, he also opened a widow rehabilitation center in Puri, besides campaigning against untouchability in the Hindu Society. Since spreading the message of independence and other constructive programs of Congress were the cardinal objectives of his activities he, therefore, chose the idea of educating the people through journals and newspapers for which he set up a press and introduced the weekly newspapers ‘The Samaj’ and ‘ Satyabadi’ to arouse the people through criticism to government. As a true Gandhian Gopabandhu not only dreamt of an India free from the yoke of the British government but also from the oppression of zamindars and Rajas. He seriously took up the cause of the peasant revolts in Kanika in the twenties against their king and extended his moral support to them for which he earned the wrath of the Raja of Kanika. Devoting his entire life and wealth to the service of the people and the cause of independence he fell ill and died at the age of 51 on 17 June 1928. Before his death, he is a will handed over his press and ‘ The Samaj’ to Servant of Peoples Society and wished its profit to be used for the welfare of the people.

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Gopabandhu Das: Poems Written in Prison (Oriya)

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F reedom fighter, poet, lawyer, and journalist Gopabandhu Das (1877–1928) was educated in English at a school in Puri. When he was in the sixth grade, his guru, Ramachandra Das, introduced him to Basudev Rath, a student of Sanskrit, saying: “I have introduced you two to each other; I have joined East and West.” 1 The two friends would go to their guru every evening and continue their discussions with him till midnight.

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Radhamohan Gadanayak, ed., Gopabandhu Rachanabali (Bhubaneswar: Sahitya Akademi, 1980)

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Satpathy, S. (2000). Gopabandhu Das: Poems Written in Prison (Oriya). In: Vanita, R., Kidwai, S. (eds) Same-Sex Love in India. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-05480-7_32

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Biography of gopabandhu das ( 1877-1928).

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This article provides a biography of Gopabandhu Das (1877-1928) who was a great educator. After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Life and Works of Gopabandhu Das 2. Gopabandhu’s Educational Thought 3. Satyabadi System of Education 4. View on Failure of the System.

• Essay on Gopabandhu’s View on Failure of the System.

Essay # 1. Life and Works of Gopabandhu Das:

The architect of modern Utkal, a great educationist, a nationalist, the founder of Satyabadi system of education popularly known as Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya, the Utkal mani, the saviour of the poor and destitute, an eminent patriotic poet, a front line social worker, Gopabandhu Das was born at Suando village near Sakhigopal police station in the district of Puri, Orissa.

Daitari Das and Swarnamayee Devi were his parents. His mother died soon after the birth of Gopabandhu and he was brought up by his paternal aunt. Amidst adversity he completed matriculation in 1899 from Puri zilla school and entered Ravenshaw College to study Arts. After graduation, he pursued law degree in 1906 and he successfully completed it. But, he did not thrive on law profession.

Having realised the pitiable plight of people of Utkal in every aspects of their lives, he thought that education would solve the myriad problems of oriyas and thus he experimented his educational ideas at Sakhigopal on 12th August, 1909. This institution was named as Satyabadi System of education or Vana Vidyalya.

He dedicated the rest of his life for the upliftment of pupils and people. His enduring social service to the poorest of the poor, destitute and deserved during natural calamities like flood, famine and fire gives him a indelible mark of a true social worker believing in deeds but not words. In the political arena, he took the leadership of our struggle for independence and he sustained a life of prisoner many a times.

He was the mainspring behind the organisation of Utkal Sammelan-to give Utkal a separate identity-which came into existence on April 1, 1936. When Orissa emerged as a separate province. Since, he was a practical educationist, let’s discuss his educational ideas and practice as under.

Essay # 2. Gopabandhu’s Educational Thought :

Gopabandhu’s educational thought is a replica of his general philosophical ideas. He termed education as a real panacea for a number of maladies. According to him, “By education, I do not mean the teaching in school; education is what was imparted in the ancient Indian institutions and centers of religion throughout the province.”

Therefore, his educational system was based upon the pillar of ancient Indian system; aimed at developing a host of universal qualities – self-control, non-violence, dedicated and selfless service, patriotism, fearlessness, humanism, righteousness, character and belief in religion.

To probe into his educational thought, it is indeed essential to know some salient features of his educational ideas:

i. Universal Education:

He was a protagonist of universal education. He considered education as the necessity for dispelling many ills of society.

When open-air school was established, Gopabandhu assertively said, “It is the belief of the organizers of the Universal Education league that everyone has the equal right of being educated just as the rays of the sun and moon are shared equally by the people and just as religious instruction is being imparted to the human society in all ages, education or mental illumination should also be given equally to all.”

Thus it indicates that he is the champion of universal education.

ii. In-expensive Education :

Being realised that India as a poor country, cannot provide education to the entire population, he thought that education should be as far as possible inexpensive.

Therefore, he said, “There are several ways of reducing educational expenditure without deteriorating educational standards, and for this attempts are being made to establish a grove school on the lines of old Gurukul system with no buildings at all.In this institution, the tuition fees payable by the students shall be minimum and they will be made live a simple and austere life in the school hostel”.

As such, he convinced that education to be universalized should be inexpensive as far as possible.

iii. Practical Education :

The then system of education was theoretical out and out. Because, it was the inefficiency of the then education system to prepare the young-men of the country for the struggle of life. They were not capable of doing anything other than that could be done with chairs and tables.

Therefore, he wanted education to be practical which could enable the pupils to become self-reliant economically. He said that for making them earn their livelihood, the students should be taught not only physical exercise but also some of the crafts especially industry and agriculture.

iv. Religious and Moral Education :

His educational aim was not producing craftsmen or workmen but men of cultured and civilized. He wanted liberal education to all for a growth of cultured society. He remarked, “There is a great need for religious and moral instructions, for morality has value even in material activities like trades and commerce.”

v. Social Service and National Integration :

He was a votary of social service and said that education was not a passport for a lucrative career or an approach to material facilities only, but he regarded education as a platform for preparation of students to dedicate their lives for the sake of the humanity and the nation.

He also emphasised on education for bringing about national feeling among the pupils. He believed that national integration could be brought about by education in a certain way. His Vana Bidyalaya bore the stamp of national integration and social service.

vi. Women’s Education :

He was a votary of women education because he believed that women are the agents of social change. He asserted, “We must also look to female education. The women are the wealth of the family as well as of the nation. They are the goddess of family life. We must develop them with characters of Seeta and Savitri.”

Women are the backbone of our society. Without them, development of the society and nation would be a mirage. Hence, education of women is the real need of the hour.

vii. Idealistic Teachers :

He convinced that the foundation of an institution depends on the sacrifice and dedication of the teachers. There must be well educated and idealistic teachers. He remarks, “A school does not consist of only buildings, chairs, and tables, there must be well educated, sincere and idealistic teachers.”

The qualities necessary to qualify a teaching profession are honesty, sincerity, moral character, dedication, commitment, punctuality, love and sympathy to the pupils. He says that the teachers should love his pupils as his own sons and daughters.

He adds, “Bricks and mortars do not make a school, nor the desks and galleries. To make teaching efficient, there must be efficient teacher and even efficiency of a teacher does not lie in high educational attainments but in the spirit and devotion with which he works.”

viii. Mother-tongue as the Medium of Instruction :

Mother-tongue is essential to develop mental powers, originality and creative abilities of the pupils. Like Gandhiji, he favoured mother-tongue as the medium of instruction at the school stage. Mother-tongue is essential for the realisation of cultural, spiritual and mental aims of education. Therefore, education should be imparted through the mother- tongue.

ix. Lofty Aims of Education :

He stressed development of character and personality as the chief aims of education. The stated that education should aim at cultivating moral, spiritual and social qualities in children and it should aim at inculcating a feeling of nationalism in the minds of pupils. Further it aims at providing necessary skills to children to enable them to earn their livelihood.

x. Emphasis upon Open-air Institution :

Education should be imparted in a free and congenial atmosphere replete with natural surroundings with a view to developing natural faculties or endowments of the children. Therefore, he stressed on open-air school.

Essay # 3. Gopabandhu’s Satyabadi System of Education :

Gopabandhu visualised an indigenous system of education like Gandhi where he endeavored to put his educational ideas into reality. The ideas were verified by himself in a serene and calm atmosphere at Sakhigopal in the district of Puri, Orissa under the jurisdiction of Satyabadi Police Station on 12th August, 1909 with only 19 students on the rolls.

Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya is a unique and outstanding contribution of Gopabandhu Das in the realm of educational thought and practice. He announced that,

“The Satyabadi School is not a local, communal or sectarian institution in respect of its ideals, form and management, its basic idea is to impart liberal education to the community at large. This is the beginning of a comprehensive educational drive for which we have been preparing for a long time. Our idea is to build up a series of institutions of this type and it is only one of the series. In course of time schools of this type will raise their heads all over the province. In these institutions there will be a union of wealth, education and character and to implement this scheme the Universal Education League has been established.”

The Satyabadi school was truly a school of national character along-with lofty idealistic and multipurpose aims. Gandhiji remarked, “It was a serious experiment in open-air teaching.”

Important Features :

i. Open-air School :

Satyabadi Bana Vidyalaya is an open-air institution shrouded with a thick overgrowth of the branches of bakul, banyan, peepal, chhuriana trees. So, it is called a school in the grove or ‘Grove school’ or ‘Gupta Brindaban’.

In his own words, “There are several ways of reducing educational expenditure without deteriorating educational standards, and for these attempts are being made to establish ‘Grove School’ on the lines of the old Gurukul system.” It is popularly known as “Shantiniketan of Orissa province.” Moreover, it is truly a specimen of the ancient Gurukul tradition.

ii. Universal Character :

In the Satyabadi School there was no discrimination among the pupils on the grounds of religion, community, religion, place of birth, caste, sex and any other forms. It was opened for all categories of pupils. Education, therefore, was universal in nature. No child was discriminated in getting education.

iii. Free Education :

Providing free education was another feature of Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya. When it was started a minimum fee was realised from the students, but later on, the fee was totally remitted at the instance of our father of nation.

Gupabadhu unequivocally declared, “There are several ways of reducing educational expenditure without deteriorating educational standards, and for the attempts are being made to establish grove school on the lines of the old guru Kula system. In this institution the tuition fee payable by the students shall be minimum and they will be made to live a simple and austere life in the school hostel.”

iv. Education through Mother-tongue :

In the Satyabadi School, education was imparted through the .medium of mother-tongue. Gopabandhu said that students could better understand and express anything through the medium of mother tongue. As such, he, like Gandhiji, emphasised upon mother tongue as the best medium of instruction.

v. Personality Development :

His system of education aimed at the all-round development of personality. Besides emphasizing training of mind and body, his education made a thrust upon certain qualities and values like character building, social service, co-operation, mutual help, friendliness, good citizenship, patriotism, humanism, brotherhood and spirituality.

These values and qualities can be promoted through organisation of a host of co-curricular activities.

vi. New Method of Teaching :

Ancient guru Kula method of teaching was adopted. In other-words, there was a direct interaction between teacher and taught. Discussion method, learning by doing, self-study, learning through community living and participation were favoured by Gapabadhu Das.

The Satyabadi School was purely residential in nature where all students and teachers lived together. The headmaster used to discuss matters pertaining to teaching, student’s problems, school problems etc. with the teacher.

It was the practice that teacher used to devote ten to fifteen minutes for recapitulation test on previous courses and collected exercise books of the pupils for verification and evaluation with great care at home.

At the last part of teaching students were asked questions to know their levels of assimilation and to know the effectiveness of his teaching. Besides, the teacher made a round in the hostel to sort out the difficulties of the pupils in understanding the lessons. In this way a number of pupils were benefitted by the help and care of the teacher.

The headmaster used to ask the teacher to submit their lesson notes/plans for his verification and supervision in order to bring about uniformity in the methods of instruction.

vii. Emphasis upon Craft and Activity-centred Curriculum :

He lambasted at the prevailing system of education which made our students drone upon others. It was unable to help the youth to prepare themselves for the struggle of life. Therefore, he wanted to introduce certain crafts like spinning and weaving, agriculture, industry, work-based education, wood-works, cane-works etc. In his school, emphasis was laid upon activity-centred curriculum.

As such, he heralded vocationalisation of education in the twentieth century.

viii. Co-curricular Activities :

For the nurturing of social and moral values, and development of personality in its multi­dimensional aspects, he strongly favoured a barrage of activities called co-curricular activities as part of the total curriculum.

The following are some of the activities:

a. Literary Activities :

Publication of monthly magazine named ‘Bani’, organisation of Kabi Sammellanies or poet’s gathering for discovering latent talents of the students, etc. are clubbed under literary activities.

b. Debates :

There was a debating society in this school which met every Saturday for the discussion of manifold problems to develop oratorical abilities of the students.

c. Games, Sports and Physical Exercises :

Physical exercise, sports and games were compulsory which were regular in nature in the Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya with a view to developing physical part of the personality as well as social and moral parts-character, discipline, co-operation, mutual trust, helping others etc. Moreover, Gopabandhu organized “Akharas” or rural gymnasium to make the students physically strong and stout.

d. Excursion :

Satyabadi School arranged excursion to different places of importance to make the pupils acquaint with the past glories of Orissa and the vast stream of knowledge.

The students used to walk miles and miles on foot to get the first hand knowledge, which was popularly known as ‘padayatra’. The Satyabadi system of excursion was a ‘living education’ for the pupils which Gopabandhu thought it as the indispensable part of education.

e. Prayer Assembly :

It was made compulsory for all the pupils and teachers to attend the prayer assembly/meeting where moral instructions and religious talks were given to develop morality and spirituality in the pupils.

ix. Community Living :

The Satyabadi School was residential in nature where both teachers and students used to stay together. The teachers were like the friends and elder brothers to help the students in times of need. By election, students formed a board of management to look out the matters concerning all the pupils.

There was a secretary who was elected by the students to take charge of mess, maintenance of accounts, providing good meals and other matters. As such, Satyabadi school stands for fostering of some social values, discipline and ideal student life.

x. Community Service :

He thought that community service was pre- requisite for development of social-mindedness. He introduced it as the compulsory part of subject in the Satyabadi school. Students used to visit poor, destitute and ill to render all possible help. They distributed relief to the people badly affected by natural calamities.

They also acted as volunteers during the car festival and Utkal Sammelan under the guidance of their teachers; In short, students did spectacular benevolent service to the people in times of crisis and need.

xi. Discipline :

He did not favour rigid discipline. He wanted idealistic discipline. The school provided an ideal training in self-discipline to the pupils. Students used to solve their problems in the “Boys own court”. Serious problem of discipline were controlled by the superintendent of the hostel or headmaster. So, the spate of indiscipline was seriously viewed.

xii. Ideal Teacher:

He placed a prime importance to the teacher in his experimental school. He remarked, “A school does not consist of only buildings, chairs and tables, there must be well educated, sincere and idealistic teachers.” ‘As is the teacher so are the students’ proverb justifies this role of teacher in satyabadi school.

The teachers were ideals having high ideal and moral character. He should be honest, sincere, dedicated to profession, punctual and sympathetic to students. The teacher had a zeal for rendering service to their community and he had to give up the pleasures of life voluntarily for the purpose of service to mankind.

Gopabandhu and his colleagues turned the school into a national school like the Gujrat Vidyapitha, Kashi Vidypitha or Banastali Vidyapitha and they tried to provide ideal education to its products to become self-less and dedicated leaders, and workers. This was a novel experiment on indigenous education.

It was mostly economical. Its universal features like open-air school, idealistic teachers, free education, character-building, community life, emphasis on co-curricular activities and its premium on vocationalisation of education made this system unique and practical.

Its main purposes were to foster nationalism, form good character, cultivate Swadeshi spirit, develop moral and ideal personality and to make them self-reliant and self-less.

Essay # 4. Gopabandhu’s View on Failure of the System :

In-spite of all the laudable features and lofty aims, his educational experiment proved failure within a short span of time. Therefore, it has opined that Gopabandhu “instead of planting a coconut tree, planted a castor seed which grew faster, bore seed and died early.”

The following reasons can be attributed to its failure. Lack of popular support in the locality especially in a cast-ridden locality dominated by orthodox Brahmins who feared the institution wanted to spread a wave of equality of all castes; lack of governmental support (the British government) due to its anti-establishment character; financial crunch which marred the autonomy of institution; active participation of Gopabandhu himself in the non-cooperation movement of Gandhiji which prevented him from doing justice to the infant school; and above all the premature death of Gapabandhu on 17th June, 1928 at 7.25 pm. are the important factors to sound a death knell of his open-air school.

In-spite of its failure, its ideals are still reckoned with in our present educational system. It can be compared with Tagore’s experiment in Shantiniketan and Gandhiji’s concept of Nai-Talim or Basic education and stands for the cultural, moral and political renaissance of Orissa state. Our education system is illuminated with the bright spark of the educational thought of Gopabandhu.

He is really a harbinger of basic scheme of education as he gave a practical shape by introducing spinning and weaving with charakha and looms in the school. He paved the way for vocationalisation of education and was a pioneer of naturalistic education like J.J. Rousseau for the unfoldment of natural potentialities of the children.

Further, the present India needs youth of patriotic temper and spirit that Vana Vidyalaya was destined to instill in the tender minds and our modern education planners have made patriotism as one of the solid aims of education.

His idea of free and compulsory education has its stamp upon our India constitution in its Article 45, “free and compulsory’ primary education to all from 6 to 14 age of the children”. Last but not least, his emphasis on social service, dedication, sacrifice and self-less service has its’ bearing upon the present day society.

This service is the need of the hour which can be instilled in the children by a good and effective system of education.

Thus, Gopabandhu Das has remained a luminous star before us whose contribution to the field of education is solid and substantial. Let’s pay a homage to this great man for all times to come. Let the educational ideas of the jewel of Utkal (Utkal mani) be reflected in the national system of education!

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