Bhima Bhoi Samadhi Pitha

Bhima Bhoi Samadhi Pitha offers an opportunity to explore the legacy of the 19thcentury saint poet and social reformer Bhima Bhoi. He was a prominent propagator of Mahima Dharma, a 19thcentury spiritual movement founded by Saint Mahima Gosain, which advocates the worship of the formless Supreme Being, equality and the rejection of caste discrimination. Bhima Bhoi played a significant role in spreading its teachings. As a spiritual leader, he preached love and devotion to God, equality among all people regardless of caste, and freedom from castebased oppression. Although Bhima Bhoi passed away at the age of 45, his literary contributions continue to be celebrated, particularly his masterpieces Stuti Chintamani and Brahma Nirupana Gita, which form an important part of Odisha's cultural and religious traditions. Along with Joranda in Dhenkanal, Khaliapali, where his Samadhi is located, has been an important centre of the Mahima Dharma movement since its inception. It served as a gathering place where followers came together to learn and exchange ideas. Even today, the Samadhi, which houses the saint poet's silvercoated wooden footwear, remains a place of prayer and meditation, where local residents perform various religious ceremonies every day.