Ollywood star Sabyasachi Mishra conducted a cleanliness and plantation drive at the historic Bakula Bana at Sakhigopal in Puri district yesterday. He along with several eminent people and local youths planted saplings and cleaned the premises of this erstwhile gurukul set up by Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das in 1909.
The actor, through a video message posted on his social media accounts a day ago, had urged the locals to clean this historically significant place clean. “Since the statues of Gopabandhu Das and his contemporaries known as panchasakha were lying neglected and surrounded by wild grass, bushes and dirt, I decided to take up the cleanliness drive and conduct a plantation programme with the locals. Following my video message, many youths came forward and cleaned up the place,” said Sabyasachi, who has earned a good reputation for helping others and standing up for such causes.
Several eminent people like Janardan Pattajoshi Mahapatra of Chhatisha Nijog of Jagannath Temple, Puri, Swami Ramakrushna Das Maharaj of Radhaballavi Math, Swami Balram Das Maharaj of Ganga Math, Pandit Biswanath Mishra, working president of Mukti Mandap, Jagannath temple, Bhaskar Mahapatra, chief priest of Batamangala temple, Deba Prasad Dash, HoD Panchakarma Department, Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Sushant Kumar Sahu, president of Sri Jagannath Society, UK and few others had all joined hands with the actor in the plantation drive.
“There were hundreds of volunteers who had come forward for this cause. It was really a matter of pride for us. Since this place bears so much historical importance for Odia people, we all took pledge to protect this Bakula Bana till our last breath,” said the Pagal Premi actor.