Anand Bhavan, the ancestral house of legendary Biju Patnaik at Tulsipur, Cuttack, is to be dedicated to the people of the state as a museum cum- learning center on Saturday by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The hallowed building has been renovated with lawns , fountains et all. Certain old belongings of Biju Babu remain to be part of the museum. It was handed over to the state government in January 2015 for the memorial museum.

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Biju Patnaik’s two sons ~ Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Mr Prem Patnaik ~ donated the house and conducted the formalities at the sub registrar’s office.

“My brother (Prem) and I have gifted our ancestral house to the state government for development of a museum, place of learning and library for the people,” Naveen Patnaik had told media persons after signing the gift deed in 2015 in the presence of his brother Prem and his nephew Arun.

“It is a gift to the people of Odisha,” Prem Patnaik had stated. Naveen Patnaik’s nephew, Arun, who was mobbed by media persons had said: “It’s a great feeling to see that the people have so much love for my uncle. I am really proud of him.”

The gift deed said: “Anand Bhavan, being the karmabhoomi (workplace) and janmabhoomi (birthplace) of the great son of Odisha (Biju babu) bears the legacy of his selfless and dedicated service to the people of Odisha, and for the intense love and affection of the people towards late Biju babu and his dreams of a modern Odisha, the donors consider it expedient that the scheduled property be owned and enjoyed by the people of the state.”

The gift deed related to the half-acre land and building constructed over 5,000sqft . “The signature of Biju Patnaik’s daughter, Geeta Mehta, was not required as she had signed a deed earlier in May 2014 relinquishing her share in favour of Naveen Patnaik. Biju babu’s father, Laxmi Narayan Patnaik, had built Anand Bhavan. Biju Patnaik was born in the house on 5 March, 1916.

Books of Biju babu, furniture, bed are still there as mementos received by him. The house was the centre of political activity till the seventies when Biju Patnaik used to live there. The erstwhile Utkal Congress Party work, distribution of tickets etc used to be done at Ananda Bhavan.

Old-timers recall how Biju babu used to travel by rickshaw to the railway station and go to Calcutta. It was much later that he shifted to Bhubaneswar and lived in Naveen Nivas while the party office ( by then the Janata Dal) functioned.

Ananda Bhavan had scripted the political fortunes of several political heavyweights and was the hub of activity for many budding politicians of the early seventies.

Today it is a completely air conditioned house and has five galleries in this first phase. Each showcases a different aspect of the leader’s life like his early childhood, personal life, political life, time in prison.

It is to have a science park and a e-library as well. Before visiting Ananda Bhavan, President Kovind will visit another historic national museum at Cuttack ~ the erstwhile Janakinath Bhavan, house of Netaji Subhas Bose which is now Netaji Museum.