← Odisha History

Gopabandhu Das - Life and Social Work

3 min read odisha-history gopabandhu-das utkal-mani social-reform

Gopabandhu Das (9 October 1877 – 17 June 1928), popularly known as Utkal Mani (Jewel of Utkal), was a poet, social reformer, freedom fighter, and educationist. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and oppressed, earning him comparison to Mahatma Gandhi.

Early Life and Education

Gopabandhu was born in Suando village (Puri district) into a Brahmin family. He lost his mother early and his wife died shortly after marriage, turning him toward a life of service and renunciation. He studied at Puri Zilla School, Ravenshaw College (Cuttack), and finally at Calcutta University, where he earned a law degree (1906). In Calcutta, he was exposed to the nationalist ferment of the Swadeshi movement.

Social Work — The Puri Seva Samiti

Rejecting a lucrative legal career, Gopabandhu returned to Puri and founded the Puri Seva Samiti (1910), a voluntary organization dedicated to serving pilgrims and the poor. During the great Puri famine, he organized relief work, fed the starving, and personally nursed cholera patients — actions that won him immense popular affection.

Contributions to Education

Gopabandhu was a pioneer in modern education in Odisha:

  • He founded the Satyabadi Bana Vidyalaya (1915) at Sakhigopal, a model school inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan. The school was established in a mango grove, with classes held under trees, blending modern subjects with Odia cultural heritage.
  • The school produced a generation of idealistic students known as the “Satyabadi group,” many of whom became prominent in the freedom movement and Odisha politics.
  • He emphasized education in the mother tongue, vocational training, and moral instruction.

Journalism — The Samaja

In 1919, Gopabandhu founded The Samaja, a weekly (later daily) newspaper in Odia. The Samaja became the most influential newspaper in Odisha, championing:

  • Odia language and culture.
  • Social reform (against untouchability, for widow remarriage).
  • The freedom movement.
  • Agrarian rights and grievances of peasants.

Leadership in the Freedom Movement

Gopabandhu was an active Congressman who participated in:

  • The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) — he was imprisoned for two years.
  • Legislative Council work — he was elected to the Bihar and Orissa Legislative Council, where he raised issues of Odia rights.
  • He served as the President of the Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Philosophy and Legacy

Gopabandhu’s life was guided by the principle of “seva” (service). He saw no contradiction between social work and political activism, believing that national freedom must be accompanied by social liberation. His famous poem “Bandira Atmakatha” (Autobiography of a Prisoner) is a powerful statement of the freedom fighter’s spirit.

He died in 1928 at the age of 50, worn out by overwork and repeated imprisonments. Gopabandhu Das remains one of the most beloved figures in Odisha’s history, embodying the ideal of selfless service to society.