Writers

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13 / Aug 2022

Harihar Mahapatra

Harihar Mahapatra was born in 1904,he is a poet and a member of the Sabuja Sahitya Samiti, was educated at Ravenshaw College and studied English for his M.A. He also studied Law, started his career as a lawyer and later became a Justice of the Patna High Court. He is now President of the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi. His poems, ‘Ya yatri’ (Proceed, Oh traveller), ‘Bhagna bina’ (The broken lyre), ‘Aji go’ (Today, my dear),‘Mu’ (Myself), ‘Paichi’ (I have got it), ‘Phula sakhi’ (Flower darling) ‘Bhara nai kule’ (By the flooded river), noted for their simplicity and romantic sentiments, were placed in the anthology of Sabuja Kabita.

He was Chairman of the Sabuja Samiti and edited their hand-written magazines Abakasha and Sadhana(subsequently, Saktisadhana). He was a co-writer of the novel Basanti. He edited Yugabina (1933), the sole periodical of the Sabuja writers. This periodical brought a new epoch in Oriya short stories and essays. Harihara is a great organiser and is associated with the Prajatantra Prachara Samiti, the Kalabikasha Kendra and the Utkal Sahitya Samaja – three outstanding cultural institutions of odisha.

Odia Books By Harihar Mahapatra

Basanti
Yugabina

Poems

Ya Yatri
Bhagna Bina’
Aji Go
Mu
Paichi
Phula Sakhi
Bhara Nai Kule

Magazines

Abakasha
Sadhana

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13 / Aug 2022

Gokulananda Mahapatra

Gokulananda Mahapatra was born in 1922.He was educated at Kuans village where he was born, and in
Cuttack and Calcutta. After passing his M.Sc. examination in Chemistry he joined Ravenshaw College in
Cuttack as a lecturer. He took to writing popular essays about subjects of science. When odia became a medium of instruction in schools and colleges he distinguished himlielf by writing textbooks of science for students. His language is simple for which reason his works are very popular. He is perhaps the most distinguished writer of science fiction in odia.

Odia Books By Gokulananda Mahapatra

Pruthibi Bahare Manisha
Krutrima Upagraha
Chandrara Mrutyu
Nishabda Godhuli
Sunara Odisha
Mrutyu Eka Matrutwa Ra
Nishchala Pruthibi
Mrutyu Rashmi

Stories

Udanta Thalia
Chaturtha Parisara
Bigyana Bichitra
Bigyanara Srestha Abiskara
E jugara Srestha Abiskara

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Godabarisha Mahapatra

Godabarisha Mahapatra was born in 1898,He is a poet, short story writer and novelist, was one of the most widely read writers in odisha. He began with writing poems, following Radhanath Ray, a nineteenth centu~ poet and Godabarish Mishra, a poet of the Satyabadl group. Banpur (1918), Prabhata kusuma (1920)and Ie phula phuti thila are the collections of his’ early poems. Later he distinguished hirnself as a satirist and attracted the readers with his rich sense of humour.

He began to edit a satirical magazine called Niankhunta. Collections of his later poems include He mora kalama (Oh, my pen, 1951), Handisalare biplaba (Revolt in the kitchen, 1952), Kanta O phula(Thorns and flowers, 1958), Pahachatalara ghasa (Grass blades under the feet), Utha kankala (Rise Oh, skeleton, 1961) and Banka O sidha (The crooked and the straight, 1964).

Banka O sidha won him posthumously the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1966. His satirical poems are about the socio-political aspects of contemporary life. His literary satires are at times too personal to be more than lampoons.

But his poems, ‘Pecha’ (The owl), ‘Chati’, ‘Shaguna’ (The vulture) and ‘Garibara Durgastaba’ (A poor man’s prayer to Goddess Durga) are effective and do have qualities of literary satires.In ‘Utha kankala’ he tried to awaken patriotic feelings in the heart of his countrymen by recounting the glory of ancient odisha. In the realm of Oriya short story also his contribution is remarkable.

Short stories like ‘Mu dine mantri thili’ (Once I was a minister), ‘Magunira sagada’ (A bullock cart of Maguni) and ‘Nila Mastrani(Nila, the school mistress) are some of the best short stories in Odia. The problems of rural life are dealt with in his short stories with a satirical note. His novels like Rajadrohi and Prema pathe are also remarkable. Moreover, Godabarisha Mohapatra was the only litterateur in odisha who succeeded in making his writing a vocation by itself.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Brundabana Chandra Acharya, Godabarisha parikrama (Cuttack, 1969); Murarimohan
Jena, Sahitika Godabarish Mohapatra (Cuttack, 1966).

Odia Books By Godabarisha Mahapatra

Niankhunta
He Mora Kalama

Poems

Kanta O Phula
Magunira Shagada
Nila Mastarani
Kanta O Phula
Banka O Sidha
Mo Khelasahi
Kunira Hati

Short Stories

Magunira Shagada
Nila Mastarani
Mu dine Mantri |Thili
Magunira Sagada
Nila Mastrani

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13 / Aug 2022

Chakradhar Mahapatra

Chakradhar Mahapatra was born in 1908,he is literary critic, compiler of folk literature,and editor of the works of old anonymous writers, was born in an aristocratic family. In 1928 he wrote his first novel Gobara gotei, which, with its preoccupation with social problems, created a sensation. He collected the folk songs of odisha and published an anthology named Utkala gauli gita. He has to his credit about sixty works which include novels, plays, poems and critical essays. So far only twenty of these works have been published. Some of them are Baneshwar, Balangir, Radang Baxi, Bohunka sukha dukhara gitika, Utkala itihasara eka agyanta adhyaya and Kuntalakumari jivanacharita. Chakradhar Mahapatra was associated with the Jnanakosha Sankalana Samiti of Utkal Univeristy and with the Gitagovinda Sankalana Samiti of the Department of the Cultural Affairs of odisha. (Ni.M.).

Odia Books By Chakradhar Mahapatra

Gobara Gotei
Utkala Gauli Gita
Baneshwar
Radang Baxi
Balangir
Kuntalakumari jivanacharita
Bohunka Sukha Dukhara Gitika

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13 / Aug 2022

Loknath Vidyadhar

Loknath Vidyadhar born in 1657 he is the celebrated poet of the medieval period, was born at Banapur. His father served as one of the ministers (Patra) of the Gajpati king of Orissa whose capital during that time was at Khurdha. The poet in his works has not mentioned the profession in which he was engaged during his lifetime. It seems he spent a few years of his life at Puri, the seat of Lord Jagannath. From his writings it is evident that he was adept in Sanskrit ‘Kavya’ and rhetoric.

His poetical works include Padmabatiparinaya, Sarbanga Sundari, Rasakala, Brundaban vihar, Neeladri
mahotshaba, Ba-chautisa and Chitrakala. All his poetical compositions, except Neeladri mahotshaba and Ba-chautisa, are fictional poems, centering round the love episode of a prince and a princess. Besides, they exhibit the poet’s high imaginative and descriptive qualities and excellence in the use of the figures of speech. All his works are composed on the models of Sanskrit rhetoric.

Sarbanga Sundari is considered to be his earliest composition (1692-93),comprising fifteen cantos. The work deals with the love between Abanitilak, the prince of Ratnamala Katak, and the princess Sarbanga Sundari, the daughter of the king of Rasataranga. A swan sent by Krishna played a vital role in uniting Abanitilak and Sarbanga Sundari, who was ignorant of Abanitilak, and allured her to marry him.

During the time of ‘Swayambar’ arranged to select the suitable bridegroom for her, she selected
Abanitilak for her husband. Their marriage was performed ceremoniously, and Abanitilak returned to his country with his newly married wife. They subsequently lived a happy conjugal life.

The poem exhibits the poet’s strong power of creativity and faithful imitation of Sanskrit poetic style. His romantic poem,Padmabati parinaya, comprising eighteen cantos, deals with the happy union of Padmabati, the daughter of king Dharmadhwaja, with Makaradhwaja, the prince of Chandraprabhapur. From the colophon to this kavya it is learnt that this work was completed in 1698. Rasakala, another romantic poem of the poet with a similar theme, consisting of forty cantos, was completed in 1715.

The poet composed Neeladri mahotshab, a poem in twentysix cantos, in 1698. The work deals with the
twelve important festivals held at the famous temple of Jagannath situated in Puri. It is described in a poetic manner filled with different sentiments and exhibiting the rhetoric skill of the poet.

Chitrakala is considered to be his best poetical composition. In respect of the theme it has similarity with Sarbanga Sundari. Both the kavyas comprise fifteen cantos and are named after the heroines of the kavyas. Chitrakala got the favour of Maharsi Narada, who kindly sent a swan to help her in winning the love of Sudarsan, the prince of Krushnabeni.

During the swyambar she selected Sudarsan as her husband. After their marriage was performed, Sudarsan returned to his country with his wife and lived a happy conjugal life. The poet has shown his excellence in describing the beauty of external nature and the beauty of woman with apt similes and metaphors.

The only small piece of poetical composition of the poet is Ba-Chautisa. The chautisa is a popular lyricalform in the ancient and medieval Oriya literature. It consists of thirty-four couplets and the first word at the beginning of each couplet is written according to the alphabetic sequence beginning with ‘Ka’ and ending with ‘Ha’ the last consonant.

Ba-chautisa is so named, as the epithet Ba is used at the end of each couplet of the poem. It is surmised that the poet was much concerned with the prevailing political instability and social confusion due to the Muslim rule in the later part of the 17th century and wrote this poem as a warning to his people. In this Chautisa are described the changes that will take place in future during the Kaliyuga.

Brundaban vihar, consisting of five cantos, seems to be his last composition. It deals with the traditionallove episode of Radha and Krishna and is composed in the usual ornamental and rhetorical style of the poet.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Mansingh, History of Oriya Literature (New Delhi, 1962); S. Acharya, Oriya kavya
kousala (Berhampur, 1983); S.N. Dash, Oriya sahityara itihas. Vol. II. (Cuttack, 1965)

Odia Books By Loknath Vidyadhar

Padmabatiparinaya
Sarbanga Sundari
Rasakala
Neeladri Mahotshaba
Brundaban Vihar
Chitrakala

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Krishnachandra singha

Krishnachandra Singha was born 1739,as the second son of Niladri Singh, king of Dharakot, a state in the district of Ganjam. During his boyhood and youth he studied Sanskrit while staying at Nayagarh where his father settled after a quarrel with his elder brother Rajendra Singh. After the death of Rajendra Singh, Krishna Singh was accepted as the next heir to the throne. He was crowned in 1781 and ruled Dharakot for only seven years. From his third reigning year he entrusted the affairs of the state to his ministers and advisers and completely absorbed himself in literary work.

He engaged five Sanskrit scholars to help him with the translation of the Sanskrit Mahabharata of
Vyasadeva into odia, and after endeavouring for five years, he completed the work excepting ‘Drona Parva’ (the chapter on Drona), which had been translated earlier by his uncle. Krishnachandra Singha is known in odia literature for his Mahabharata in odia, which is a faithful translation of the original text. The great Sarala Dasa (l5th c.) took up only the skeleton of the original Sanskrit text, changing even the original epic characters in his own way and adding many invented stories on his own, but the Mahabharata of Krishnachandra Singha became the true and faithful odia rendering of the original text.

Nowhere in the translation do we find any omission or alteration in the portrayal of the original characters or depiction of events. He has, however, used book language and Sanskrit words while rendering the philosophical and religious discourses. We also find contemporary usages and descriptions of social customs of the period reflected in his translation. After working on the original text he completed the translation in 1828. He also translated Sanskrit Harivamsha (Annals of Hari) into odia.

Like most of the ancient poets he unashamedly speaks of himself as most ignorant, sinful, proud, impure and dishonest. This was not true and this kind of profound humility earned him adoration and respect for all times. Though encircled by all sorts of sensual enjoyments of a royal palace, he abstained from the vagaries of the rich society and led the pure, honest and devoted life of a true Vaishnava.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Mayadhar Mansingh, History of odia Literature, (1962); Surya Narayan Das, odia
sahityara itihasa (Cuttack, 1966).

Odia Books By Krishnachandra Singha

Mahabharata
Drona Parva
Vaishnava

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Kanhai Khuntia

Kanhai Khuntia was a Vaishnava poet of odisha born in the Khuntia sevaka family who are traditional servants in the temple of Lord Jagannath. He was renowned by the time Chaitanya came to odisha in 1509. Srichaitanya charitamrita tells us that Kanhai Khuntia and Jagannatha Mohanti played the roles of Nanda and Yashoda respectively in the ‘Nandotsava’. The date of his birth can be. approximately fixed between 1455-1460.

Kanhai Khuntia composed a poem on Krishnalila. His book entitled Mahabhavaprakasha describes Radha as ‘Mahabhavamayi’ who had originated from the ‘Mahateja’. The book identifies Sri Jagannatha with Sri
Krishna. The book also speaks of some historical events including the Kanchi expedition of king
Pursusottamadeva, the sudden invasion of Hussain Shah, the Sultan of Bengal of the temple of Lord
Jagannath and the transportation of the idol to ‘Gadakokala’ on the Chilka Lake. Kanhai Khuntia probably died between 1540 and 1550 after the death of Chaitanya.

Odia Books By Kanhai Khuntia

Mahabhavaprakasha
Mahabhavamayi
Mahateja

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13 / Aug 2022

Bishwanath Khuntia

The influence of the two great Indian epics – the Mahabharata and the Ramayana – on the literature and people of odisha has been incalculable and among the several poets who wielded their pens in producing or recreating the Ramayana in odia literature in the medieval period to cater to the need of the country, the name of Bishwanath Khuntia stands supreme.

There are several versions of the Ramayana in odia commencing with the Dandi Ramayana or Jagamohan Ramayana by Balaram Das of the 16th century, but Bichitra Ramayana by Bishwanath Khuntia has been unique in its depth, dimension and literary appeal. Written in musical metres, this notable epical work has been widely popular and has left an indelible impression upon the rural readers of odisha both as a reproduction of the Ramayana and as a piece of valuable literature to guide and to inspire the rural folk in the practice of essential virtues and noble qualities enshrined in it.

A contemporary of medieval odia poets like Dinakrishna Das, Upendra Bhanja and Lokanath Bidyadhar,
Bishwanath Khuntia was a resident of Puri town and lived during the reign of Raja Dibyasingh Dev of
Khurda in the later part of the 18th century. His work Bichitra Ramayana gives evidence of his being present at Puri during the famous car festival of Lord Jagannath when Divyasingh Dev was the king. The poet has given his indentity as ‘Bisi’ at the end of each canto and for this reason the Bichitra Ramayana is known as Bisi Ramayana among the odia readers.

Although the theme of the original Ramayana is the main theme of the Bichitra Ramayana, it is unique
and superb in its treatment and execution. The invocation of Lord Jagannath in the beginning of this notable work adds to the originality and imagination of the poet.

The poet commenced the writing of his Ramayana on the occasion of Gundicha and also completed it
during the same period. It is found that while designing the musical metre for each canto of his Ramayana,the poet has taken as model the metre of some of the erstwhile compostions of his predecessors. On the whole Bishwanath Khuntia occupies a significant position in odia literature as the successful author of the musical version of the Ramayana and as an interpreter of the noble characters of the great epic for the social upliftment of the people.

Odia Books By Bishwanath Khuntia

Bichitra Ramayana

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Sitadevi Khadanga

Sitadevi Khadanga was born in 1902. He is a dramatist and a novelist. Born in an orthodox brahmin family of the village Asika in district Ganjam, she had no formal education. Married to Banchhanidhi Khadanga, a school teacher, she has written a number of dramas like Sahodar (Brother), Nari (Women), Poshyaputra (Adopted son), Naisthika (An orthodox), Prachin panthi (Old-fashioned), Kshudhara pida (The pain of hunger), Matrihina (Motherless). These are all social dramas and were written and staged in various places of Ganjam during nineteen fifties. She has established a stage of her own called ‘Harihar natya Mandir’.

Moreover, she was the founder of Krishna Singh Sahitya Parishad at Aska. Then she diverted her attention to novels. Poshyaputra (Adopted son, 1948) was originally written in dramatic form and staged in Aska, subsequently rewritten as a novel. It is based on different problems of society.

Agraja (Elder brother) is a social novel in which turmoil of party politics is depicted. It contains twenty-seven chapters. Pratyabartan (Return, 1969) is also based on the rural life of odisha. The language and the style of these novels are stereotype. One can mark the influence of Fakirmohan on these novels. Mo jiban smriti (Memory of my life, 1976) gives an autobiographical note on the writer and is also included in the collected works. FURTHER WORKS: Sitadevi granthavali (Cuttack Students Store, Cuttack, 1978). (S.C.P.)

Odia Books By Sitadevi Khadanga

Sahodar
Poshyaputra
Nari
Naisthika
Prachin panthi
Kshudhara Pida
Matrihina

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Bisvanath Kar

Bisvanath Kar born in 1864,he was one of the greatest pioneers of the nineteenth century Renasissance. He was one among those who were acting as torch-bearers when odisha was encircled by darkness of ignorance. He was born in a conservative brahmin family of the village Mulabasanta in Cuttack District of odisha. He began his traditional education, being encouraged by his father Narayana in the village Parlour with lessons of Sanskirt epic poetry, drama and grammar.

Afterwards he learnt English in Pyarimohan Academy and Mission School of Cuttack. During this period his progressive mind was disturbed by the many superstitions and taboos of Hindu religion. He could not reconcile himself to the idea of Hindu idol worship. So he took the revolutionary step to reform the Hindu society being converted to the Brahma cult of Raja Rammohun Roy.

Bisvanath was great innovator, influential editor and eminent prose writer of modern odia literature. He was famous as the writer of Bibidha prabandha (Miscellaneous essays) which was published prior to the publication of the magazine Utkal sahitya (1897) of which he was the founder editor. Most of the essays of this book were published during 19th century in the famous literary magazine Utkala prabha and Sambalpur hitaishini. In these essays the writer dreamt of a reformed and enlightened society.

He wished there the flowering of free thought instead of the predominance of scriptures. Everywhere he was deeply concerned with the humanitarian thought. He also gave a call to fight against the humiliation of womenfolk, ignorance of the man, racial discrimination, child-marriage, drinking habit and traffic in women. With forceful argument he expressed his views in clear and simple odia language. For almost half a century his hterary monthly, Utkal sahitya, was the literary mouthpiece of odisha.

This journal was responsible for ‘Sabuja movement’ in odia literature towards the second quarter of the twentieth century. For years he used to write in the Utkal sahitya under the heading, ‘Bibidha prasanga’. He also published Satya samadhan. He was nominated by the then government as a member of the Bihar-odisha Council. He will be ever remembered for his strong faith in God, continuing literary work, free thought and attractive and impressive prose writing.

Odia Books By Bisvanath Kar

Bibidha Prabandha
Satya Samadhan

Magazine

Utkal Sahitya
Utkala Prabha
Sambalpur Hitaishini

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