Prime Minister Pays Homage to Parbati Giri on Birth Centenary

The Prime Minister pays homage to Parbati Giri (1926–1995) on her birth centenary. The tribute highlights her role in the freedom struggle and her community service work in healthcare, women empowerment, and culture.

Parbati Giri (Birth Centenary Tribute): 

Dimension	Key Details
Life span	1926–1995
Birth details	Born on 19 January 1926.
Parentage and family	Born to Dhananjaya Giri and Shrimati in a Gauntia family.
Nativity	Samlaipadar village, Bargarh district, Odisha.
Early activism and influences	Dropped out of school at age 11; inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Rama Devi of Bari Ashram.
Association with Congress	Joined the organizational work of Congress in 1938 and started raising awareness in villages.
Gandhian practices	Learned weaving and handicrafts and adopted Gandhism as a way of life.
Khadi Andolan activities (1940)	Organized meetings and mobilised villagers for Gandhiji’s Khadi Andolan; encouraged people to spin charkha and wear khadi.
Quit India Movement participation	Participated in rallies with the tri-colour flag and shouted anti-British slogans.
SDO office incident and imprisonment	Went to the Sub Divisional Office in Bargarh, sat on the SDO’s chair, and ordered the SDO to be brought in tied with a rope; led to arrest and imprisonment for 2 years.
Bargarh Court incident	Ordered lawyers to vacate Bargarh Court and gave two bangles to those who did not comply.
Women’s participation	Encouraged many women of Western Odisha to join Satyagraha and the freedom movement.
Relief work	Led relief work during the 1951 famine in Odisha.
Social reform work	Worked for the improvement of jail conditions and the eradication of leprosy.
Honorific titles	Known as Mother Teresa of Western Orissa for service to the destitute; called Banhi Kanya for resilience and nationalist zeal.
Centenary tribute	Role in freedom struggle and community service; work highlighted in healthcare, women empowerment, and culture.