Writers, poets urge Patnaik to develop Dasia Library

A delegation of writers and poets from different parts of the globe, has urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to develop and promote the Dasarathi Patnaik Library and Museum located in Nayagarh district.

Social reformer Dasarathi Patnaik set up the library and museum at Udaypur village of the district in 1959.

The international writers and poets, who had recently come to Bhubaneswar for the 39th World Congress of Poets, 2019, in a memorandum, expressed concern over the condition of the library and the museum.

This centre of learning needs to be developed into a world-class institute so that it can find place in the list of World Cultural-Tourism Centre of Eminence, the memorandum signed by 83 poets and writers from different countries, including USA, Argentina, Mongolia, China and Poland, said.

Dasarathi Patnaik, popularly called as Dasia "Aja" (grandfather) had set up the library and the museum and it houses more than 1.5 lakh books and periodicals, palm leaf manuscripts, paintings and other research materials.

His indomitable spirit and strong determination made this village library a treasure house of knowledge and people from all parts of the globe pay visit to this centre of learning in search of glorious heritage and culture of the world, the memorandum said.