Childhood
Gangadhara was born in a Bhuliya Tanti family on 1862 on the full moon day of Shravana Purnima at Barpali of present-day Bargarh district ofCareer
The then Zamindar of Barpali, Lal Nruparaj Singh offered him the post of an Amin (Patwari). Coming to learn of amicable behaviours and good virtues of Gangadhara, the Zamindar promoted him to the post of a Moharir. He continued to serve in the said post and was transferred to Sambalpur, Bijepur and Padmapur and at last transferred to him own native place Barapali on a salary of Rs. 30/- per month. The poet was very liberal and progressive socially. During the last age of his life, the poet organized an All Odisha Social Conference of Mehers with a view to uplifting the entire weaver society. Nearly three thousand Mehers from different parts of Odisha assembled in the Conference. The poet put up twelve proposals for the reform of the society and all were passed unanimously.Literary career
Gangadhara started composing poems from a very young age. His first writings follow the style and technique of the ancient Odia writers. His first (poetic work) was "Rasa-Ratnakara". Then being persuaded by some friends he changed his ways and wrote poems and in the modern Odia style. Kabibara Radhanatha Ray praised his writing very much. The works produced by Gangadhara Meher are marked by vivid imagination, in beauty and clarity of language, in the novelty of style, in point of forceful character painting and in the lively description of nature from different perspectives. His writings remain as some of greatest creations in Odia literature. His literary career was frequently influenced by the writings of Radhanath Rai, who wrote in western influences. A research was conducted in North orissa University which reveals many similarities between Gangadhar Meher and western romantic poets like P.B Shelley, Lord Byron, John Keats.The treatment of nature is equally same in their poetries.Legacy
In 1949, Sambalpur College which is in Sambalpur district, opened in 1944 was renamed Gangadhar Meher College in his honour later upgraded to a university, now it is known by Gangadhar Meher University. In 2015, this college was upgraded to a university. Sambalpur University, Burla, instituted the Gangadhar Meher National Award for Poetry which is conferred annually on the foundation day of Sambalpur University. In January 2020 the Gangadhar Meher National award will be conferred to Viswanath Prasad Tiwari.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gangadhar 1862 births 1924 deaths People from Bargarh district Odia-language poets Odissi music composers Poets from Odisha 19th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian poets Poets from British India