Swaraj Ashram

The Swarajya Ashram at Telengapentha is synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's relationship with Odisha, Cuttack in particular. The double-storey Ashram, located opposite the banks of river Kathajodi. was in the thick of the Non Cooperation Movement in the 1920s. This is where Gandhi spent his nights during his visits to Odisha; the first visit being on March 22, 1921. It is from here that the Father of the Nation went to the river bed of Kathajodi through the Ganesh ghat area in the mornings to address public gatherings.

After ages of neglect, the ashram that spreads over 1100 sq ft area has been converted into a protected monument by the Government of Odisha. There are around 200 photographs in the Ashram that captured Gandhi's visit to Odisha beginning with the one in 1921, the first of his seven trips to Odisha's 69 sites till 1946. A stone slab in the hall of the ashram, where Gandhi during his meetings, has been plastered and a statue of Gandhi installed on it. Historians say that Cuttack was the seat of the Freedom Movement is Odisha and the Swaraj Ashram played a pivotal role in paving the way for Swaraj Movement. During this period, the ashram was the place of meetings for all National leaders who visited Odisha during the Freedom Movement. The building has been developed into a tourism site by the Odisha Government and INTACH and it remains open round the year. Currently, INTACH is working on projecting the site as a freedom fighters memorial.