Rayagada/Gunupur: Known for her philanthropic activities and for dedicating her life for the cause of social work for seven long decades, Shanti Devi from Koraput district is one of the several Padma Shri awardees of 2021.
This feisty 87 years old Shanti Devi is a household name in undivided Koraput district. Born April 18, 1934, she was greatly influenced by the ideology of Vinoba Bhave. She along with her husband Ratan Dash shifted to Koraput district. Then she was 17 years old. The couple first set up an
ashram at a tribal-dominated village Khambesu Shankalpadar in 1951. The couple dedicated their lives for the betterment of orphaned children and distressed women. In 1955, she joined Vinoba Bhave’s Bhudan Movement. It is her indomitable spirit to offer every minute of her life for social activities that has earned her the moniker ‘Koraputia Gandhi’ (Koraput’s Gandhi).