The Barpali Days

This blog is the Facebook of Barpali which picturise its "life" and "culture". It was a "palli" or a village a century back where the all time great Oriya poet swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher had taken birth. Now this bustling little town is renowned world-over for the weaving of Sambalpuri ikat handloom fabrics. Agriculture is its prime economy. And when you happen to visit this little town don't miss to taste Chaul bara.

Breaking

Dec 29, 2017

8:12 PM

Sampurna Kumar Bhoi : The new age Dronacharya


The irony is that in our society we recognize and felicitate only those students who reach the heights in their course curriculum or in the extracurricular activities. Whereas we grossly ignore the key man i.e. Guru or the Teacher of the student who made his or her disciple to achieve the success. Sampurna Kumar Bhoi of Kadlipali village is such a victim of our society. He is the Physical Education Teacher(PET) of Veer Surendra Sai High School, S.Dumberpali in Bargarh District, Odisha. With the unparalleled valour, dedication and determination Sampurna able to roll out so many girls of Bargarh District to participate in national sports.

[Nikita Bishi]

During December 2017 one of his students by the name Nikita Bishi went to Dhaka, Bangladesh to play Under 15 years girls South Asian Football Federation(SAFF) Championship 2017 at Birsreshtha Shaheed Sepahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, Dhaka. In the final match India was narrowly beaten 0-1 by the host team Bangladesh. Yet Barpali is proud as its daughter Nikita Bishi represented and played for India in this international football tournament. Whereas earlier she had been to Tajakisthan to play Asian Football Championship(2016) on behalf India.


Sampurna is not a regular teacher despite serving for the past 16 years on contractual basis. With his own initiative he is imparting training to only girls, the gender discriminated children of Bargarh district. His students are not the kids of any landlords, businessmen or the government employees. He motivates the neglected offspring of the peasants of this locality who are otherwise forced to work in the farmlands. He induces the parents to send their kids to the playground.

Apart from above mentioned Nikita, two other girl students of him by the name Tarasa Mirdha and Ulasa Mirdha went to play football at National Athletic Meet(NAM), Bhopal. This Nov’17 another OBC student by the name Muskan Podh went to play  Football Championship at Imphal, Manipur. Sampurna Sir teaches the subjugated kids of Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe and Below Poverty Line(BPL) families. These kids can’t afford to buy either a football, sport boots or the jerseys. There is an abysmal supply of sports accessories or the equipments by the state government of Odisha. Many a times with his money Sampurna Sir bought either a pair of jersey or boots for these poor children so as they can play football.
  
[Muskan Podh]
As per the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Dronacharya was the greatest teacher of warfare in this subcontinent. He was the guru of Pandabs. He taught Arjuna the skills of archery. But to keep alive his gurunistha or being loyal to his students Dronacharya asked  Ekalabya to cut his thumb finger of the right hand and to give it as gurudakshina. Drona did not want a kid of a sabara or the forest dweller to be an expert in warfare and to excel beyond the skills that Pandabs possessed. But in juxtapose to the above mythology, this  new age guru is imparting training to the tribal children of Odisha.

kiranbima@gmail.com
​​​​
​​Mobile # +918249314972
E.Kiran Mohan(The Writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Near SBI,
Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh, Odisha
India

Dec 15, 2017

12:05 AM

Siddharth Sanjib Panigrahi : Capturing Western Odisha with his camera lens

               

A photo speaks hundred times louder than thousand words that ever written. Based on this presumption Sidhartha Sanjib Panigrahi a government teacher of Matiabhata High School of Balangir district in Odisha opted to photography as a hobby to unleash the hidden talents lying dormant within him. He was possessing a non digital camera ever since his school days. But in the year 2013 one of his ex-student showed him a photograph clicked by him. In that photograph the subject was focused, while the background was blurred. This teacher wanted to know how it was possible to click such a photograph. That engineering qualified student introduced a DSLR camera to Sanjib. Keeping aside the self ego as a teacher, Sanjib eagerly explored all the possibilities of photography with a DSLR camera.

Western Odisha is a treasure trove of nature, wildlife and indigenous culture of its people. Born into  a religious Brahmin family  of western Odisha, Siddhartha Sanjib Panigrahi is a personification of intelligence and creativity. He weaves magic through his photography. His photographs depicts mainly the natural beauty of western Odisha. The lush green forests, the hefty mountains, the springs come alive in his photography and mesmerise the viewers. Carrying his set of DSLR camera and ancillary gadgets he travels around western Odisha. He captures flora and fauna, nature, wildlife and tribal people living in the lap of nature.                             
    
       
Ranipur Jharial is a place where there is a confluence of more than 108 temples was the capital of Koshal during Kusha period, has been neglected by the state government. But in the web and print media it became a much talked subject for the efforts he made through his photography. Many people came to know about the architectural beauty of Chausathi Yogini temple and Indralath temple by the photos Siddhartha shared through social media. A Facbook group i.e. Amazing India even shared the photos of Chausathi Yogini temple in its page. Western Odisha is adorned with numerous springs and fountains like Chaldhar, Kapildhar, Shilaphathar and many more. The beauty of these springs are vividly depicted through the photographs of Sanjib. The photos of Devdhara waterfall, situated in Bargarh district of Odisha taken by Mr Siddharth Sanjib are amazing and are appraised by many photographers world over. A photo of this place taken by him was also shared in the page Amazing India group. This place is now brought into notice of people and attracting foreign tourists as well.  The Gandhamardhan hills adorned with lush green forests and wildlife has been a victim of poachers, mafia and corrupt industrial houses since it got reserves of bauxite, the mineral from which aluminium is produced. Siddharth is attempting to frame this patch of green forest in his camera. He has taken many photographs of the springs streaming out of this hill range. Temples like Harishankar and Narasingnath amidst the forest of Gandhamardan has evoked spirituality of thousands of visitors to this place the way this young photographer has been inspired.  
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Western Odisha is adorned with numerous springs and fountains like Chaldhar, Kapildhar, Shilaphathar and many more. The beauty of these springs are vividly depicted through the photographs of Sanjib. The photos of Devdhara waterfall, situated in Bargarh district of Odisha taken by Mr Siddharth Sanjib are amazing and are appraised by many photographers world over. A photo of this place taken by him was also shared in the Facebook page of Amazing India group. This place is now brought into notice of people and attracting foreign tourists as well.  The Gandhamardhan hills adorned with lush green forests and wildlife has been a victim of poachers, mafia and corrupt industrial houses since it got reserves of bauxite, the mineral from which aluminium is produced. Siddharth is attempting to frame this patch of green forest in his camera. He has taken many photographs of the springs streaming out of this hill range. Temples like Harishankar and Narasingnath amidst the forest of Gandhamardan has evoked spirituality of thousands of visitors to this place the way this young photographer has been inspired.
  
 
A dam over the Indravati river in Kalahandi district is a symbiosis of modern day marvel.  Siddhartha wandered through this place taking many photos of the scenic beauty of this place. Not only the places and the locations, but the people of Western Odisha and their attire has also attracted this photographer. He has taken many photos of these people in their colourful costumes and ethnic ornaments. The photos of star trails and milkyway speaks volumes about the versatility of this photographer. 


Many a nights he sneaked out of his home at dead of the night as if a spy to photograph the night sky over different hills surrounding his village. On returning home caught red handed by his mother and got shouting as well.   

kiranbima@gmail.com      
Mobile # +918249314972
E.Kiran Mohan(The Writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Main Road
Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh,Odisha
India