Odia Books

Haladhara Pattanayak a prominent medieval odia poet, was the son of Ananta Pattanayak, and probably the brother of Gajapati Mukundadeva of the Khurda royal family who ruled during 1657-1668. In the ‘Uttarkanda’ of his ‘valuable composition Adhyatma Ramayana he gives yugabda 4783, equivalent to 1657-1688 A.D., as the year when the composition was completed. He got his inspiration to compose the Adhyatma Ramayana in odia from Sri Mahesvara, Acharya, an erudite Sanskrit scholar from Rayapurashasana. Haladhara himself was not adept in Sanskrit so that he had to compose his work keeping in mind whatever he heard from Mahesvara Acharya’s interpretation of the original Ramayana. He was the first translator of the Adhyatma Ramayana in odia, followed by Gopala Telenga, Damodara Dasa, Gopinatha Dasa, Suryamani Chyaupattanaik and others.

Adhyatma Ramayana
Uttarkanda