Annapurna Maharana passes away

She was 96 and survived by two sons.

Maharana breathed her last at about 10.30 pm at her Bakharabad reisdence in Cuttack after a prolonged old age related illness.

Her mortal remains will be consigned to flames at Khannagar crematorium in Cuttack tomorrow, family sources said.

Maharana was born to Odisha's noted freedom fighter Rama Devi and Gopabandhu Choudhury. She was married to Sarat Maharana, who passed away three yearss ago.

Joining the freedom struggle at the age of 14, Maharana was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and his idelogy. She accompanied Gandhiji in his historic 'Harijan Pada Yatra' from Puri to Bhadrak in 1934. Maharana was imprisoned at different times including once during Quit India Movement in 1942.

Besides being a freedom fighter, 'Maharana' spent her time in social service after Independence and worked for the uplift of women and children. She too joined the Bhoodan Movement of Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

She had set up a school in Rayagada district for tribal children.

Maharana was honoured by the Central University, Koraput recently besides being conferred with a host of awards including Preisdent of India Award, Sarala Puraskar, Utkal Ratna and Radhanath Rath Foundation Award.