Sambalpur: Recitation of the Assam State anthem in five languages – Assamese, Odia, Hindi, Bodo and Bengali – was the highlight of the Assam-Orissa joint cultural programme held at Bezbaruah House Saturday.
The anthem was recited by 17 students of Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School of Guahati and the music was also played by them. The team earlier recited their school prayer and Gayatri Mantra. The recitation kept the audience enthralled.
The visiting team under the leadership of principal Basant Bhuyan felicitated the guests on the dais and was felicitated by the guests.
Convener Deepak Panda said the famous Assamese litterateur Laxminath Bezbaruah was a great visionary and his vision is reflected in his literary works that enriched Assamese.
Panda disclosed that all literary works that made Bezbaruah famous as a litterateur including the state anthem were created in this heritage house on the banks of the Mahanadi almost a century ago.
Speaking on the occasion chief guest Sambalpur Collector Samarth Verma said that culture and development go together at Bezbaruah House as the whole complex of the heritage site will be surrounded by a large traffic circle that will pave way for infrastructure development and that the heritage site will highlight its glorious cultural history.
He added that the construction work on the traffic circle will be completed by March 2018 and thereafter conservation of the heritage site will be launched at a cost of Rs 50 lakh allocated by the Government of Orissa.
He informed that conservation and renovation will be done under the supervision of the Sambalpur chapter of Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (INTACH), which had done its best to protect the heritage site.
Principal Basant Bhuyan said the Assamese government is eager to donate a life size bronze statue of Bezbaruah and a grand sculpted archway to be fixed on the road here.
He was overwhelmed by the ovation given to him and his team at Sambalpur. He also expressed his gratitude to Deepak Panda and said the credit for making the programme successful go to him.
Sambalpur Citizen Action Committee Chairman Bhagbat Prasad Nanda presided over the function. Tarini Prasad Panda, convenor of the Sambalpur chapter of INTACH was guest on the occasion. Shashank Shekhar Purohit, joint convenor of INTACH tendered the vote of thanks. PNN