Balasore: Literary giant Fakir Mohan Senapati is a household name across the state for his outstanding contribution towards the enrichment of Oriya language but ironically the building in which he had done his schooling at Damodarpur here, has become a picture of neglect.
Trees and wild plants have grown from its walls and ceilings, but the administration has not taken any step to repair the 400-year-old structure which locals say should be preserved and developed as a heritage site.
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Bachuu Jagdish Prasad, who lives in the building, says the structure will take no time to fall to ruins if it is not restored.
The building bears memories of Fakir Mohan’s childhood and struggling life. It was in 1852, when Fakir Mohan, the sentinel of Oriya literature, started his early education at the age of nine at a ‘Chatsali’ (informal study centre) run under a tree on premises of Nanda Gosein mutt at Mallikashpur.
Biswanath Rana, a researcher, says “Fakir Mohan had to struggle a lot to get his early education. Nurturing a strong zeal for education, he used to secretly come out his house and learn ‘Lilabati formula’ of Mathematics from Pandit Harekrushna Panigrahi at Sobharampur.
Another person who tutored Fakir Mohan in his childhood was Banamali Bachaspati. In his autobiography, Fakir Mohan has dubbed Banamali as an able tutor.”
By 1855, he was studying in Class-III along with Raghunath Bhuyan, son of Bubunna Prasad Bhuyan, a landlord of Barabati.
Fakir Mohan along with Raghunath learnt ‘Amarkosa Abhidhan’ and ‘Mugdhabodha Byakaran’ from a Sanksrit scholar at this building. It’s unfortunate that many people still do not know about this building of historic importance.
Earlier, this building was used by Marathas as a treasury while a Subedar was guarding it, said Rana. September 21 in 1903, the British occupied Balasore. Six Maratha soldiers were engaged at the building then and three of them were killed in a battle with the British.
Old timers say the three others somehow managed to flee via Parmit Ghat on the waterways. Rana said parts of the building were excavated in the 70s when about 30 basketfuls of cowries were recovered.
While studying in Class-III, Fakir Mohan had to drop out after he failed to deposit Re 1.25 as fee on instruction from school secretary Shibanth Som.
Much later, Som invited Fakir Mohan to join as a teacher in Barabati School. Years later, he was appointed headmaster of Mission School.
The descendants of Raghunath Bhuyan are now residing in the building. PNN
