BREAKING
SIR vital for electoral integrity: CM Mohan Charan MajhiMarket rally fizzles as oil and outflows biteGrand statue of Baji Rout to be installedUS focus is on local jobs, not tech firms’ origins: TCSStudent polls shape future politicsvivo launches S2 FE with 10,000 mAh batteryYouth stabbed to deathGST officers told to widen tax base, boost cash collectionsNCB joins drive to curb cannabis cultivation in KandhamalaMLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao praises ‘Cast’ teaser
National

Grand statue of Baji Rout to be installed

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 13 Oct 2026 1 hour ago

Dhenkanal: State Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra announced at Nilakhanthapur in Bhuban that the Odisha government will build a grand statue of Baji Rout, the youngest martyr of the freedom struggle. Modelled after the Statue of Unity, the monument will stand on the banks of the Brahmani river.

During the 89th death anniversary observance of India’s youngest freedom fighter, Baji Rout, at his native village of Nilakanthapur in Dhenkanal district, the State government announced plans to honour his legacy. “Veer Baji Rout’s immortal saga and sacrifice must reach the global stage, and the government is fully committed to this mission,” stated Patra after paying tribute at the martyr’s memorial. To commemorate the 12-year-old martyr, a grand and attractive statue will be erected on the banks of the Brahmani river.

Baji Rout, the youngest martyr of the Indian freedom struggle, was remembered on his death anniversary at the Smruti Pitha. The young boat boy was shot dead by British police on the night of October 11, 1938, after refusing to ferry them across the Brahmani river to suppress the Dhenkanal Prajamandal movement. To honour his sacrifice, the District Information and Public Relations Office, alongside the Baji Rout Smruti Parishad, organised a commemorative programme featuring ‘til-tarpan’ rituals and a formal guard of honour.

District Collector Ashish Iswar Patil announced that National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Limited will develop a modern memorial complex near the Smruti Pitha. The complex is designed to preserve his memory and inspire future generations through his sacrifice, courage, and patriotism.

Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pani, Kamakhyanagar MLA Satrughan Jena, SP Ajinkya Baburao Mane, and Smruti Parishad president Kodandhar Sahu were among those who paid tributes. After honouring Baji Rout’s statue in Dhenkanal, Patra said the State government has sanctioned Rs 120 crore for a new sports complex at Banamaliprasad.

Related News