Dharamsala to come up at Puri for Kulta Samaj, Gangadhar Bhawan to be built at Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: Delegations of both Kulta Samaj and Meher Samaj, two prominent communities in western Odisha, met chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday and discussed with them about their issues.
While a Dharamsala will be established at Puri for Kulta Samaj, Gangadhar Bhawan will come up at Bhubaneswar in the memory of noted poet Gangadhar Meher, who belongs to Meher Samaj.
A delegation of Kulta Samaj, one of the farming communities of the state, requested Naveen to provide one acre of land and financial aid to build a Dharamsala for them at Puri. Because lakhs of people from the community visit Puri every year to pay obeisance to lord Jagannath and goddess Ramachandi.
The delegation consisting of Kulta community members from Boudh, Subarnapur, Sambalpur and Brajrajnagar thanked the chief minister for the state government’s move to develop Nrusinghanath Temple in Bargarh district.
Naveen directed the Puri district collector to demarcate a suitable land for this purpose within a week. He announced that the state government will provide financial aid towards construction of the Dharamsala. It will be completed within one year.
A delegation of Nikhil Odisha Meher (Bhulia) Samaj, one of the weaver communities, while discussing with Naveen here on Monday requested him to celebrate the 100th year of death anniversary in March 2024 in a proper way to give fitting tribute to the poet.
The chief minister assured the delegation of celebration of the poet’s 100th year of death anniversary in a proper way and construction of Gangadhar Bhawan at the capital city in the memory of the poet. A committee will be formed under the chairmanship of chief secretary for this purpose, he added.
In 1924, Gangadhar Meher had conducted a big meeting organising people from his community Bhulia or Meher. Later the Bhulia Samaj became Nikhila Odisha Meher Samaj. The state government has erected statues of the poet at different places of the state and started Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal System and Odisha Gangadhar Meher Sikhya Manak Brudhi Yojana apart from converting a college into a university named after this poet.
Kulta and Meher communities have a sizable vote share in certain parts of Western Odisha.