Odia Books

The poet Ghana Bhanja, author of Govinda Vilasa was the ruler of Ghumusar, a Zamindari in Ganjam district in southern odisha between 1707 and 1754. The Bhanjas of Ghumusar were traditionally patrons of literature, and many of them were writers themselves and composed poetical kavyas. In addition to Ghana some other leading Bhanja writers were, Dhananjaya, Trivikram and Upendra, the last being the most famous of all. Dhananjaya, Ghana and Upendra wrote ‘Kalasa kavyas’ following the well known Apabhramsha traditon.

In Govinda Vilasa Ghana Bhanja had composed a kavya based on RadhaKrishna Lila. He was influenced by the Riti school of poetry which was dominant at the time and embellished his poetry with many rhetorical as well as alankar devices and elaborated his poetical account with descriptions of nature, and details about the beauty of the heroine, Radha. In fact Radha and Krishna met each other for the first time in the forest of Brindavan.

It was spring and as it was a case of love at first sight, the poet describes the natural beauty of Brindavan which adds to the beauty of love. The lover and the beloved feel attracted towards each other, and intensely desire each other’s company; the poet makes them suffer the pangs of separation, though finally they achieve their desired union through a woman-messenger of Sri Krishna. The poet describes Radha’s beauty as an Abhisharika, when in response to Sri Krishna’s invitation through the woman-messenger, she proceeds to meet her lover, also in the groves of Brindavan.

Though politically Ghana Bhanja was an enemy of Upendra Bhanja whose uncle he was and had occupied the throne of Ghumusar by driving away Upendra’s father, the legitimate heir, yet in liteature and particularly in writing kavyas he followed Upendra Bhanja and was largely influenced by him. The two kavyas with fictional love story that he wrote, entitled Trailokya Mohini (She who charms the Three Worlds) and Rasanidhi (The Treasure of Beauty) were done on the model of Labanyavati, the famous kavya of Upendra Bhanja.

All his writings, as was usual at the time, were musically-structured units and employed raga, tala, etc., so that they could be sung. In 1739 he got the title of ‘Kshatriyabar’ from Birakeshari Deb, King of Puri (Khurdha), which he extensively used in his writings and at times called himself ‘Kshatriyabirabar Bhanja’. He was a minor poet, but an interesting representative poet of the time.

Odia Books By Ghana Bhyanja

RadhaKrishna Lila
Kshatriyabar
Labanyavati