Bhubaneswar, July 3: The Odisha government has announced that a revised and authentic version of ‘Lakshmi Purana’, originally composed by Mahakabi Balaram Das, will soon be published and distributed across the state. The new edition, based on the poet's original manuscript, will feature a fresh musical composition and metre, replacing what scholars describe as the incomplete and distorted version currently in circulation.
Addressing the ‘Lakshmi Purana Corridor’ programme at the Mission Shakti Auditorium on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said the Odisha Sahitya Akademi will publish the revised edition. Around one crore copies of the book will be distributed free of cost to households across Odisha.
Parida also announced that renowned singers Namita Agrawal and Geeta Das have agreed to lend their voices to the revised version after discussions with the state government. The new recording will be based entirely on Balaram Das' original text.
The announcement came after noted researcher Asit Mohanty raised concerns over the existing versions of ‘Lakshmi Purana’. He alleged that the versions currently sung by several artists, including Namita Agrawal and Geeta Das, are based on incomplete and misleading texts, resulting in generations of devotees reading and singing a version that deviates from the original work. He further claimed that many editions available in the market omit several key philosophical and literary elements of Balaram Das' composition and urged that such distorted versions should no longer be promoted.
During the programme, Jagannath scholar Gauranga Charan Das demonstrated how the revised ‘Lakshmi Purana’ should be rendered in terms of its melody and metre.
Music composer Sitaram Agrawal, who had produced a musical version of ‘Lakshmi Purana’ over three decades ago based on a pocket edition of the text, acknowledged that the earlier rendition contained inaccuracies. He expressed hope that the new recording would faithfully reflect the original composition and be presented in a grand and devotional manner.
The revised musical version will be jointly recorded by Namita Agrawal and Geeta Das. Sitaram Agrawal said research work is currently underway and the music production is expected to take around two months. The government aims to release the revised edition ahead of the upcoming Manabasa Gurubar festival.
Expressing her enthusiasm, singer Geeta Das said she considers it a privilege to record the authentic composition of Balaram Das. She said while the earlier version had received immense love from devotees, the opportunity to sing the original text would be a blessing of Goddess Lakshmi.
The state government also plans to popularise the revised ‘Lakshmi Purana’ through stage performances, bhajans, kirtans and other cultural programmes across Odisha. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said women carrying ceremonial ‘kalash’ pots would travel from village to village to spread the message of equality and social harmony embodied in ‘Lakshmi Purana’, ushering in a renewed cultural tradition.
