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New varsity launches cleanliness drive

Pradip Kumar Das

Cuttack: Inspired by the Oriya culture of sprucing up the house and keep it neat and tidy for worshipping the fortune goddess Lakshmi during the Thursdays of the holy Oriya month of Margasira, called Manabasa Gurubar, the Vice-Chancellor of the newly-formed Ravenshaw Unitary University has launched a drive to clean the campus. As the pujas on the occasion called Manabasa Gurubar in local parlance, Vice-Chancellor Debdas Chhotray too has named the drive Operation Manabasa Gurubar (OMG).

Traditional

"Before the onset of Manabasa Gurubar we clean and keep our homes clean to offer pujas to goddess Lakshmi. So the great tradition of Oriya culture gave us the inspiration to launch the operation," says Chhotray, a former IAS officer and son of a legendary Oriya playwright Gopal Chhotray who had penned hundreds of Oriya dramas eulogizing the Oriya tradition and culture.

It was the painting of chita (a liquid made up of rice powder) all through the entrances of various departments that welcomed the visitors on Thursday morning depicting the traditional puja ambience on the campus. "So the Manabasa Puja is no more limited to the sacrosanct puja rooms of the Hindu households alone. If the teachers could take it to the streets, we have brought it to our campus," observed a student of the university.

"Actually this idea dropped in my mind while holding a coordination meeting earlier this week with officials of general electric department, public health department and local civic authorities to launch a drive to clean the campus and its surroundings. The students appreciated it and offered to do `shramdaan' for the college.

For the past two days the students of National Services Schemes (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC) and other students are working with PHD and municipal staff in clearing the debris, garbage and drains of the university campus, said the official. Similarly, teachers of the university are asked to monitor the operation and mobilize students for their active participation.

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