English
Raghu Arakhita was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. Reference to this devotee occurs in Madalapanji, the chronicle of the temple of Lord Jagannath, and in a few other ancient literary works. It is probable that he lived during the reign of Prataprudra Deb (1497-1540), the Gajapati king of Orissa, and was perhaps a contemporary of Sri Chaitanya. Rama Das (18th c.) in his Dadhyata bhakti, a popular biographical work in verse, has elaborately written about the life of this devotee.
He was born to rich parents in a village situated on the north-eastern border of Orissa adjacent to Bengal. He was married when yet a boy. He lost his parents and fortune early and became a destitute. For this he was known as Raghu Arakhita, i.e. Raghu, the destitute. He left his ancestral house, became a Vaishnava sanyasi and went to Puri, where he lived almost as a beggar. The later part of the story narrates how Raghu Arakhita, by the grace of Lord Jagannath, was re-united with his wife, and how they both lived in a monastery at Puri leading a life of dedication to the Lord.
Except a few small poetical compositions, very few literary works of this Vaishnava poet have so far come to light. There are two ‘chautisas’, that is, typical poetical compositions of thirty-four stanzas written according to the Oriya alphabetic sequence of consonants, beginning from ‘ka’ to ‘kshya’. These two chautisas are Shakuntala chautisa and Jnana ude chautisa.
The former deals with the romantic episode of Dusmanta and Shakuntala, and the latter is a philosophic discourse. In addition, he wrote Gochar sidhi Gita and a number of devotional and lyrical compositions on the Radha-Krishna theme. The language is simple and the compositions are musical and full of the poet’s intensity of love and devotion.He wrote such type of bibliography like K.C. Sahu, Prachin kavya dhara (Cuttack); Rama Das, Dadhyata bhakti; Sachidanand Mishra, Chautisa bichitra.
Odia Books By Raghu Arakhita
Shakuntala Chautisa
Jnana Ude Chautisa
Gochar Sidhi Gita
Durga Charan Parida was born in 1929.He did his M.A. from Santiniketan; West Bengal. A poet of post Independence odia literature, his poems composed in couplets and short stanzas, speak of his deep sense of involvement and personal love. The first collection of his poems, Indrayudha (1961), bears the imprint of his passionate love, intimacy of experience and romantic vision of life. Most of the poems included in this volume are pure lyrics and are rich in visual imagery and symbols. Primarily a lyricist, he also wrote some prose-poems in the sixties. Though he moved away from the pursuit of poetry under the pressure of his duties as Government servant, his earlier compositions bear a testimony to his romantic sensibility.
Odia Book By Durga Charan Parida
Indrayudha
Manoj Das was born in 1934.He is a prominent writer in odia and English. In his career as a student he was attracted towards the leftist political philosophy. A deep humanistic note is noticed in all his works. Prominent among his short story collections are Manoj Dasanka Katha O Kahani (winner of the Sahitya Akademi award in 1972), Dhumrabha Diganta O Anyanya Kahani, Abu Purusha O Anyanya Kahani and Laxmira Abhisara.
The Crocodiles Lady and Fables and Fantasies for Adults are his two short story collections in English. With a keen observation of human nature he brings out the pathos and predicaments of life. Through subtle irony and often through comic extravaganza, he communicates a vision of life where various existential compulsions weigh on man making him take, at times, very ridiculous steps. There is a strong undercurrent of sadness in almost all his stories which springs often from a nostalgic yearning for a lost world of love or innocence.
This intimate loss is either of a childhood experience as in Dhumrabha Diganta or of an innocent culture as in Farewell to a Ghost. Yet there is often a beatific side of life as has been illustrated in Sesa Basantara Chithi. The little girl Rina comes forward to share the common sorrow of the loss of a mother in the intimate human understanding. Das speaks of the agony and ecastasy of life as well. He penetrates into the psyche of the individual and focuses on the perversions and miseries of life. His technique is mainly ironic and his irony is always marked by an affectionate understanding of life’s various urges.
In Abu Purusha the lump of Sarma symbolises the perversion of values in a highly commercial society. In Madhubanara Mayor the vanities of the mayor pale into insignificance before the small girl who helps him cover his naked body with her torn and soiled frock. In many of his stories Das subtly focuses on the modern man’s loss of innocence, on the false ego and vanity, and on the artificial values which ultimately lead him to his own destruction.
Das drives home his point through well-developed plots. In his stories one finds a poetic reality lurking behind the reality of facts. Thus Lili’s death in Dhumrabha Diganta becomes an abiding symbol that at once communicates to the reader a tender agonising sense of the eternal sorrow of man. He conveys the predicaments of life largely through allegorical narration.
In the story Bagha, the tiger takes up multiple meanings of fear, jealousy, revenge and ambition. Das makes us accept even incredible things because these ultimately exist in their symbolic planes. Panchantantra for Adults, Semananka Samparkare Sesha Khabora,Byaghrarohan, illustrate this aspect of his art. While the fantasy of the story provides entertainment to the reader, its symbolic significance focuses on the quintessential reality of our instincts and urges.
The comic vein is a noteworthy feature of Das’s technique. His characters are often put in such situations where they appear ridiculous and hence provoke laughter. Here lies the satire of the sensitive humanist who rarely offends, but only focuses on the pathetic plight of man through the criss-cross of humour and pathos.The comedy here compels us to see the tragedy of our lives in a close perspective. Even in their failings, the characters are recognizably human, deep-rooted in life’s myriad compulsions. Das weaves the traditional pattern of story-telling into the symbolic exploration of the theme. Herein lies Manoj Das’s uniqueness as a short-story writer.
Odia Books By Manoj Das
Tandralokara Prahari
Aakashra Isara
Amruta Phala
A Tiger at Twilight
Bulldozers
Prabhanjana
Godhulira Bagha
Kanaka-Upatyakara Kahani
Amruta phala
Sesha tantrikara sandhanare
Short Story
Upakatha Sataka
Sesa Basantara Chithi
Manoj Dasanka Katha O Kahani
Abolakara Kahani
Aranya Ullasha
Lakshmira Abhisara
Travelogue
Keta Diganta
Antaranga Bharata
Dura-durantara
Adura Bidesh
Poetry
Tuma Gaan O Anyanya Kabita
Kabita Utkala
Madhusudan Das was born in 1848 called the father of modern odisha, was a legislator, an advocate,the most respected man of odisha and the first minister in India to give up ministership with a monthly salary of Rs.5000/-. After his Matriculation he studied at Calcutta and after obtaining M.A., and B.L. degrees of Calcutta University he became the Headmaster of a high school in Calcutta.
In the meantime he had embraced Christianity. Then he joined the Cuttack Bar and became a leading advocate and founded the Utkal Tannery and another organisation for the upliftment of filigree industry in odisha. He inspired people with Swadeshi ideas such as revival of Charkha etc. He was a patron of Womens Education too.
As founder of the Utkal Sammilani in 1903 and sometimes presiding over its annual sessions he delivered his stirring presidential addresses in odia and inspired the organisation with a dozen of patriotic songs. One such address is now entitled Jatiya Jibana (National life).
Some of these odia speeches and songs have been printed under the title of Madhu Babunka Oaia Baktrita O Gita (The odia speeches and songs of Madhu Babu – Nabakishor Das, 1958).BIBLIOGRAPHY: Madhusudan (in English, Sahitya Akademi) Nityanada Satapathy (Ed.) Madhusmaranika ,1966; Surendranath Mahanty, Satabdira Surya, 1970 .
Odia Books By Madhusudan Das
Baktrita O Gita
Swadeshi
Jatiya Jibana
Charkha
Madhava Das was Vaishnava poet, most probably born in the first half of the sixteenth century in the Brahmagiri region of Puri district in odisha. He is also known as Madhava Ratha. Chaitanya came to odisha in 1599 and soon the foundation of odishan Vaishnavism was laid. Madhava Das, who was staying at Puri came into contact with the Vaishnava saint of the time. He wrote a small book named Chaitanyavilasa, depicting the life history of Chaitanya with specific reference to his devotional aspects or lila. The book contain ten, chapters.
The language of Chaitanyavilasa is very simple and pleasant; still at some places, the poet has used a few Bengali parts of speech. In addition to this Chaitanyavilasa a few bhajanas and Chaupadis have been attributed to him. None of his books has been published so far. As revealed from his legends, poet Madhava Das wrote his last work in the second phase of the sixteenth century while he was on pilgrimage immediately after the death of Chaitanya.
Odia Books By Madhava Das
Chaitanyavilasa
Chaupadis
Kunjabehari Das born in 1914 is a poet and essayist who graduated from Ravenshaw College and
obtained his M.A. Degree both in odia and in Sanskrit from Calcutta University. He worked as Lecturer and Superintendent of Sanskrit studies in odisha, then joined as Reader in Odiya at Viswabharati, Shantiniketan. Again he came back to odisha and became Professor of odia in Ravenshaw College.
Kaidi (The Prisoner,1938) his first publication deals with the sacrifice of freedom fighters. Prabhati (The morning Songs, 1943)is a collection of sonnets in which he follows the metaphysical trend of Madhusudana Rao, Pashana Charane Rakta (Blood under the Feet of Stone, 1945) is a long dramatic poem, which is based on a historical myth of transformation of cruel Ashoka to a benevolent emperor.
Charanika (Lady Bard, 1948), a poetic drama, centres around the legend of the famous temple at Konarka. Birashri(Heroic Beauty, 1948) contains ballads on historical and legendary themes. The other collections like Kankalara Luha (Tears of a Skeleton,1949), Se Eka Lomasha Nila Hata (That’s a hairy blue Hand, 1954), Lahu 0 Lohit (Blood and Red, 1955), Mati 0 Lathi (Soil and the Stick) are full of socialistic enthusiasms.
In these poems he is moved to tears by the misery of the down-trodden common men. His love for nature is reflected in the col1ections of poems like Duduma (1945), Bagra(1948) and Narmada. The first two are water falls and the last one is a river in the Deccan. The poet is still producing volumes of poems. His poems are collected in Kunjabehari Sanchayan, consisting of three parts.
Anu (Atom, 1964) is a collection of poems, very short in length, and that way a new experiment in odia poetry. His poems for children ,are collected in Tak Dama Dam (1951),Kunimuni (1959), Itikili Mitikili and Khelasathi (Playmates). Apart from writing poems, he has also written critical essays and an autobiography.
His autobiography, Mo Kahani (My Story, 1978) received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979. Kunjabehari has also made a mark in the field of collection of folk lore. He got his Ph.D. degree from Viswabharati for his research on folk lore. He has also written a collection of short stories called Hasa Kandar Gapa (Stories of Laughter and Tears).
Odia Books By Kunjabehari Das
Prabhati
Pashana Charane Rakta
Charanika
Kankalara Luha
Mati 0 Lathi
Duduma
Khelasathi
Narmada
Kunjabehari Sanchayan
Mo Kahani
Kisoricharana Das was born in 1924,he is an outstanding representative of the generation of short story writers who came to dominate the Oriya literary scene after the sixties. He has distinguished himself by concentrating on a particular area of experience, the middle and the upper middle classes and also by bringing an introspective reflective element into the Oriya short story form.
The predominant theme of his stories is a search for meaning in life by the members of a comfortable middle class. His characters seek to go beyond the commonplaceness of everyday life based on habit, compromise and trivialities. This search often involves a rejection of the secure and familiar world of middle class living and its values. Most of the characters withdraw into their familiar worlds after a brief contact with other worlds of ecstasy or intensity or of any significant experience.
The stories of Das are structured as a series of situations which give rise to reflections on the part of the characters. They are resolved at the end usually in a moment of heightened realization or a moment of revelation. Events are secondary as the purpose of the author is to take the reader deep into the mental life of the character. The narrative voice provides the social framework in which the characters, their thoughts,feelings and emotions are rooted.
Most of the stories are provided with urban settings. But this choice of urban locales does not exclude a deep nostalgia for earlier and simpler modes of rural living and its values.The introspective element also gives his stories a poetic quality. Das attempts to shock his character out of the complacence of a secured middle class life and make them confront the shallowness and emptiness of their experiences.
This frustration propels them to achieve significant human relationships or even at times spiritual communion. All the collections of Das harp upon their sufferings, strivings, failures and at times of their fulfilments. From Bhanga Khelana to his latest collection Gamana the same theme is prominent; but the narrative technique seems to rely more on symbols and images and on the introspective or reflective aspect.
In his earlier stories like ‘Vanity’ and ‘Icecream’ the superficiality of sympathetic gestures on the part of the middle class is exposed through actual events. In ‘Icecream’ a bureaucrat, intending to establish a rapport, invites a clerk, his immediate neighbour to a garden party. But when the child of the clerk enters the party with icecream splashed on his face, the members of the party get completely disgusted and upset. The hypocrisy that is at the heart of the middle-class attitude becomes clear. This is often focused by Das through such ironic devices. In Manihara experiences seem to have lost their validity in the context of a mechanical middle class life.
In Gamana the narration becomes more analytical. All the characters here are marked by a certain
helplessness, even in spite of their material and social status. This helplessness may result from unfulfilled sexual instincts or from a failure to belong completely as in ‘Dasara ru Diwali Jaen’ (From Dusserha till Diwali) or from an unrealized or even betrayed spirtitual craving as in ‘Tu Kana Ramakrishna?’ (Are you Ramakrishna?). Many protagonists in this collection are intellectuals who have failed to realize life in emotional and spiritual terms.FURTHER WORKS: Ghara Bahuda (The Home Coming)., Laksha Bihanga (Million Birds)., Thakura Ghara (The Prayer Room).
Odia Books By Kisoricharana Das
Ghara Bahuda
Laksha Bihanga
Thakura Ghara
Vanity
Icecream
Bhanga Khelana
Gamana
Kartika Das was born in 1600,No information is available as to his family or residence. Rukmini Bibaha (literally, Rukmini’s marriage, published by Prachi, 1930), a kavya in ten cantos and Nabanuraga(literally, the advent of love, yet unpublished) are the two works ascribed to his authorship. The theme of the former is the marriage of Srikrishna with Princess Rukmini.
The story occurs in the Bhagavata, the Harivamsa and other Vaisnavite works. The style is mostly Puranic but in some passages, human form and beautiful nature are decribed in a simple and lucid diction. The salient point about this work is the poet’s choice of a theme of Krishna’s love with Svakiya Nayika (married wife) while the general trend,
then,among authors was the popular topic of Parakiya Premabhakti (devotional love with other’s wives).Secondly, Kartika Das has desisted from describing the details of conjugal union of the newly married couple obviously with an attitude to depict the cannonic love life of Srikrishna, king of Dwataka, which, too, had its own importance as a doctrine in Vaishnava Philosophy
Odia Books By Kartika Das
Nabanuraga
Vaishnava
Rukmini Bibaha
