English
Lakshmikanta Mahapatra was born 1888 in Cuttack and educated at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, and Ripon College, Calcutta. Soon after his graduation, he fell a victim to leprosy and for about half a century he led a crippled life, full of trials and tribulations. Nevertheless, reading, writing and music remained his main pursuit.
He was initiated by a Vaishnava saint called Ramdas Babaji and he spent most of his life in his village at Talapada and Bhadrak. At Talapada he organised a Gopinath Sangeet Samaj. He wrote operas and plays on both mythological and historical themes for perfonriance by this samaj. The institution was active for five years and most of his works were successfully staged by them.
In 1929 he set up a printing press at Bhadrak and in 1936 brought out a monthly journal of humour named Dagaro. The magazine was his prime concern and in it most of his writings were published. He usually wrote under a pseudonym. His works included poems, short stories and political and social satires. Only a few of his writings were published in book form when he was alive. All his writings, however, were published in 1964 in two volumes of Kanta sahityamala.
Though a cripple, he was a vivacious man and an indefatigable writer. He wrote novels, short stories,dramas, stories for children, essays, kirtans, padavalis, social and political satires, etc. He was known particularly as a writer of devotional and patriotic songs. The novel, Kanamamu, was his last novel.He knew Bengali, Hindi and English, besides Odia. He is popularly known as Kantakabi and his songs are known as Kanta sangeeta. As a writer of parody, he is second to none. Imitating the bunch of poems Kishore chandrananda champu of Kavisurya Baladev he composed Chatak chandrahasa champu.
FURTHER WORKS: Novel: Kanamamu (1952); Essays: Ashajogira atmakatha (1960); Juvenile Literature:
Pilanka katha (1930); Drama and One-Act play: Brajabarjan (1925), Kama (1926), Kaliya dalan (1927);
Sarad rasa (1922), Basant bilas (1923); Lyrical poems: Kallol (1925), Jeeban sangeet (1932).
Odia Books By Lakshmikanta Mahapatra
Kanamamu
Kanta Sangeeta
Ashajogira Atmakatha
Pilanka Katha
Drama
Brajabarjan
Kama
Kaliya Dalan
Sarad Rasa
Basant Bilas
Lyrical Poems
Kallol
Jeeban Sangeet
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