Bhubaneswar, Dec, 08: Inaugurated by the Chief Minister To continue from December 6 to 17 Jnanpith Awardee Dr. Pratibha Ray joined the inaugural ceremony
Chief Minister urged everyone to buy books and gift them to others
“If the number of readers increases, writers and poets will be motivated and more books will be published,” said the Chief Minister
Odisha’s Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, while inaugurating the 7th Odisha State Book Festival–2025, said that Odia is one of the most ancient languages of India. The Hatigumpha inscription of the 1st century BCE, the Dhauli and Jaugada edicts of the 3rd century, ancient manuscripts, copper plates, and palm-leaf manuscripts stand as evidence of its antiquity. He said it is our responsibility to nurture and enrich this ancient language and its literature.
The book festival began today at the Exhibition Ground, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, and will continue from December 6 to 17. This year, 550 stalls have been set up. A pavilion has also been created in memory of the martyrs (Baraputras). After inaugurating the festival, the Chief Minister visited the stalls, browsed through books, and purchased some. He also paid tribute at the pavilion dedicated to the martyrs.
Addressing the authors, litterateurs, and book lovers present, the Chief Minister said that he has a deep interest in collecting and reading books. He has collected about 5,000 to 6,000 books and arranged them like a library, reading them whenever he gets time.
Calling upon children, the Chief Minister said that through reading, one can learn about many unsung and lesser-known heroes of our land. Urging writers, he said that they should gather more information on these unsung heroes and bring their stories before the public through books.
The Chief Minister praised Dr. Pratibha Ray’s renowned book Yajnaseni and said that the message she delivered today is an important one for society. He said, “From today, I have decided to give books as gifts to people. I request all of you to buy books and gift them to others. Flowers fade away, but books continue to enlighten our minds every day. If everyone adopts this practice, the number of readers will increase, writers will be encouraged, and a new horizon of possibilities will open for Odia literature.”
Odia Language, Literature & Culture Minister Shri Suryabanshi Suraj said that we regard books as divine and worship them. Books have always influenced our consciousness. He encouraged children to reduce mobile usage and increase reading.
Ekamra–Bhubaneswar MLA Shri Babu Singh said that what once used to be a book fair has now transformed into a grand festival due to government support. He said that this initiative plays an important role in connecting the youth with books.
Renowned writer and Jnanpith Awardee Dr. Pratibha Ray said that two of the most astonishing creations in human history are fire and language. Language is a human invention, born from human intellect, consciousness, and knowledge. She said that our culture is rooted in texts, wisdom, and intellect. Books are our greatest companions—they awaken the consciousness within us. She urged everyone to accept and offer books as gifts and appealed to the youth to observe the upcoming Valentine’s Day as Book Day.
Expressing gratitude to the state government for organizing such an event, she said that books are repositories of words, and this book fair is a vast library of books. She noted that with the state government’s efforts over the past two years, this fair has become the largest book fair in India.
During the event, several books were released, including:
“Operation Sindoor” by Colonel Sarat Mohapatra,
“De” by Dr. Panchanan Nayak,
“Murchhita Moksha” by Badri Mohapatra,
“Jharaa Shraban” by Bimala Singh,
“Some Reflections on Odia Children…
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