Odia Books

Jadhumani Mahapatra was born in 1781 he borns in a poor carpenter family,was educated in the traditional Sanskrit school and qualified himself as a brilliant scholar in the Sanskrit and odia literatures. He was a great literary artist and a wit like Birbal. His best work is Prabandha purnachandra in which he narrates the episode of Krishna’s marriage with Rukhmini. This poem is modelled after the ‘riti’ style of the Ornate Age of odia literature. Another such poem is Raghaba bilasa. Both these poems exhibit odia ‘alankara’ (rhetorics). He also composed more than a hundred humorous poems.

Most of his witty and humorous utterances have been compiled and published as Jadumani rahasya
(Humour of Jadumani).The poet was bold enough to make satirical jokes about his patron kings He never cared if he was liked or disliked for his straight-forwardness. His devotional poems and songs are also equally popular like his witty sayings. He was a favourite courtier of the kings of Nayagarh, Khandpara, and some other princely states of odisha for his wit, extraordinary scholarship and his ability to compose humorous poems instantly.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Chakradhar Mahapatra, Jadhumani granthavali (Cuttack, 1965); J.B. Mohanty, odia
Literature (Cuttack, 1952); Mayadhar Mansingh, History of odia Literature (Sahitya Akademi, 1962).

Odia Books By Jadhumani Mahapatra

Prabandha Purnachandra
Jadumani Rahasya
Raghaba Bilasa