Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 21: A drawing competition was organised by Kalpataru Art and Craft to mark the birth anniversary of the great poet Jayadev at Soochana Bhawan here Tuesday.
Around 100 students from different schools from in and around the city participated in the competition.
Attending the programme as chief guest, Ajit Tripathy, ex-chief secretary of Election Commission, spoke of the life and works of Jayadev.
“Jayadev is one of the greatest exponents of Jagannath culture. It is he who popularised and spread the cult of Lord Jaggannath all over the world. The epic poem Gita Govinda of Jayadev which depicts the divine love of Krishna and Radha, played a crucial role in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. We are proud that the state gave such a jewel to the world and whose poetry represents the love for God,” Tripathy said.
“There has always been a controversy regarding the birthplace of Jayadev. Some people claim he was from Bengal whereas some claim he belonged to Bihar. But the truth is Jayadev was from Orissa and his native place is Kenduli which is near Puri. Jayadev is a cult figure, a great poet whose poems truly had the essence of devotion for God. We must educate our children about Jayadev and his beliefs,” Tripathy added.
The winners of the competition were later awarded with a citation and a memento in different categories. Vaishnabi Ghose of DM School won the first prize in the junior group whereas Aditya Prakesh Moharana from Kendriya Vidalaya Dhenkanal was adjudged second. In the senior group, Debabrata Singh of
KV 1 won first prize and Puja Das of Biswamar Vidya Puri won second prize.
In another event, a painting exhibition was inaugurated at Ekamra Haat in the city Tuesday.