Felicitations

Achyutananda Pati is an Odia writer whose love for the underprivileged and exploited sections of society and nature is reflected in his writings. Born on June 26, 1927 in Naraharipur village in Jajpur district, he was honoured with the Sarala Puraskar in 2013 for his book ‘Cha Ru Chaitnya’.

His other literary creations include ‘Shikta Shaikata’, ‘Asubha Putrara Kahani’, ‘Ugrasen Ubacha’ and ‘Kahani Nuhen Kabya’.

He has been bestowed with the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Puraskar in 1983, Jhankar Puraskar in 1984, Sarala Samman in 1998, Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman in 2002 and Sikhar Samman in 2019.

A dramatist, director and actor, Ananta Mohapatra has been actively involved with the stage and plays on radio and television since the 1950s. He has directed more than 100 plays and was honoured with the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Samman in 2019.

Mohapatra got the first opportunity to act and direct a play while he was a student of the Ravenshaw College at Cuttack in 1956. He had presented Gopinath Mohanty’s novel ‘Amrutara Santana’ on radio in ten chapters in 1995.

He was honoured by Biswa Natya Congress, London and Natya Soudha Sansthan, Kolkata.

Bibhuti Patnaik is a household name in Odisha who has more than 150 books, mostly novels, to his credit. His style of writing is highly appreciated.

Born on October 25, 1937, he is also a columnist. A teacher by profession, he was bestowed with the Sarala Award in 1999, Odisha Living Legend Award in 2012, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015 and Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman, 2016.

Some of his literary creations are ‘Badhu Nirupama’, ‘Aneka Tarara Ratri’, ‘Chapala Chhanda, ‘Dagdha Phulabana’, ‘Madhyanha Ra Dibaratri’, ‘Dina Jae Chinha Rahe’ and ‘Nila Akhira Nadi’. His selected writings have been translated into Hindi under the title ‘Bibhuti Patnaik Ki Chuni Hui Kahania’.

Dasarathi Das’ literary journey had its genesis in writing poems. He has created a special place for himself in the field of literary criticism. His style of writing and analytical mind had put him on a different plane.

His first book was ‘Kabya Sambad’ published in 1973. He has authored 14 books on literary criticism.

He is recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Puraskar and Atibadi Jagannath Das Award.

Well known linguist, professor, social scientist and author, Debi Prasanna Pattanayak was the Founder Director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore.

Born on March 14, 1931, Pattanayak was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1987 for his contribution toward inclusion of the Bodo language in the 8^th Schedule of the Constitution of India. He had also played a major role in ensuring that Odia language acquired the status of a ‘classical language’.

His selected works included ‘Multilingualism in India’, ‘Papers in Indian Sociolinguistics’, ‘A Controlled Historical Reconstruction of Oriya, Assamese, Bengali and Hindi’ and ‘Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Britain and India’.

Pattanayak received the Kalinga Sahitya Samman in 2014.

An Indian writer, poet, painter, playwright and novelist with partiality towards Odia, Jagannath Prasad Das was a member of the Indian Administrative Service which he quit to pursue his passion for literature and art.

Born on April 26, 1936, Das’s creations included poetry, short stories, plays, novels, essays, art history and translation. His notable works included ‘Prathama Purusha’, ‘Parikrama’, ‘Desha Kala Patra’ and ‘Suryasta Purbaru’ in Odia and ‘Puri Paintings’ in English.

Das won the Sarala Award in 1998, Nandikar Playwright Award in 2000 and Saraswati Samman in 2006. Besides translating some of his own writings in Odia into English, he has also translated other works in different languages into Odia and English. It included Gulzar’s poems from Urdu into English.

Ramakanta Rath is one of the renowned modernist poets of Odia literature whose search for the mystical, attempt to unlock the puzzle of life, understand the inevitability of death set him apart from others. His poetry carried the distinct sign of symbolic annotations to spiritual and metaphysical contents of life.

Born on December 13, 1934, Rath was a member of the Indian Administrative Service and served as Secretary to the Government of India and Chief Secretary in the Government of Odisha. He received the Sahitya Akademi award in 1977, Saraswati Samman in 1992, Bishuva Samman in 1990 and India’s third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan in 2006. He was the President of the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, from 1998 to 2003.

His literary creations include ‘Kete Dinara’, ‘Sandigdha Mrugaya’, ‘Saptama Rutu’, ‘Sachitra Andhara’, Sri Radha’ and ‘Shreshtha Kabita’.

Primarily a teacher in Chemistry by profession, Santanu Kumar Acharya has 16 novels, 23 collection of short stories and 11 children’s books to his credit.

Born in Kolkata in 1933, Acharya received the Sarala Purashkar in 1987, Sahitya Akademi Award in 1993, Katha Puraskar in 2003 and Atibadi Jagannath Das Award for lifelong contribution to Odia literature in 2014.

His noted creations included ‘Chalanti Thakura’, ‘Shakuntala’, ‘Anoma’s Daughter’ and ‘Santanu Kumar Acharya: Stories’. Prominent among his books for children are ‘Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe’, ‘Dine Akasha Bi Nathila’, ‘Kathare Kathare Bigyana’ and ‘Nitidinia Jibanare Bigyana’.

Born in 1929 at Jagannath Khunta in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, Satakadi Hota has greatly contributed to Odia literature through his collection of stories and novels. His writings portray the complexities and varieties of life hinting at the general decay in values in the society and man’s growing loneliness and helplessness.

Hota, who worked in a top position in the railways, has authored six novels including ‘Byakula Hrudaya’, ‘Swapna Siuli’, ‘Ete Swapna, Ete Aloka’ and ‘Aneka Diganta’. He has written more than 100 essays published in different newspapers and periodicals which deal with contemporary social issues.

A poet of great calibre and literary critic, Sitakanta Mohapatra is highly decorated for his administrative acumen and contribution to Indian literature. Born on September 17, 1937 in Mahanga village, he started to write both in English and Odia while pursuing his master’s degree in Political Science from Allahabad University.

Prior to joining the Indian Administrative Service, Mohapatra taught at the Utkal University for two years.

He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974 for his collection of poem ‘Sabdara Akasha’ and was chosen for the Jnanpith Award in 1993 for outstanding contribution to Indian literature. He was decorated with the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011 for literature. His notable works included ‘Ashtapadi’, ‘Ara Drushya’, ‘Aneka Sarata’, ‘Ushavilasha’, ‘The Ruined Temple and Other Poems’ and ‘Unending Rhythms’.

Srinibas Udgata, who lives in Balangir, is a poet, story and drama writer, painter, novelist and translator.

Born on January 6, 1935, Udgata was honoured with the Sarala Award in 2002 and Padma Shri in 2008. He was presented the Atibadi Jagannath Das Puraskar in 2003.

His literary creations included ‘Purnima’, ‘Parbati’, ‘Dibya Purusha’, ‘Kipari Kahibi Mu’, ‘Khali Tharute’ and ‘Rutam’, a collection of poems. His novels are ‘Nila Nayana Tale’, ‘Kanta’, ‘Sesha Ratrira Prathama Sakala’ and ‘Sesha Chitau’.

Udgata also received the Bharati Bharat Award for his poetry from the Hindi Sahitya Sanstha of Uttar Pradesh in 2002.