HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Odia literature is
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
written in the
Odia language Odia (, ISO: , ; formerly rendered Oriya ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha (formerly rendered Orissa), where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also ...
, mostly from the Indian state of
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. The modern Odia language is mostly formed from
Tadbhava (Sanskrit: तद्भव, , lit. "arising from that") is the Sanskrit word for one of three etymological classes defined by native grammarians of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, alongside tatsama and deśi words. at pp. 67-69. A "tadbhava" is a w ...
words with significant
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
(Tatsama) influences, along with loanwoards from Desaja,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu),
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
, and
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
. Its earliest written texts date from around 1000 CE. The earliest Odia newspaper was '' Utkala Deepika'', first published on August 4, 1866. Historians have divided Odia literature into five main stages: Old Odia (800 AD to 1300 AD), Early Medieval Odia (1300 AD to 1500 AD), Medieval Odia (1500 AD to 1700 AD), Late Medieval Odia (1700 AD to 1850 AD) and Modern Odia (1870 AD to present). Further subdivisions, as seen below, more precisely chart the language's development.


4th century BC

The creativity and development of the Odia language and literature can be seen in its spoken forms, such as folk tales, and in written forms, such as rock edicts and manuscripts. Songs sung to memorialize birth, death, work, and festivals helped to preserve the language in its oral form, passing it through the generations. Stories depicted in cave paintings preserved the language in the written form.
Kharavela Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is ...
's Hatigumpha inscription serves as evidence of past Odia cultural, political, ritual, and social status, and is the first poetic stake inscription. Though
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, ...
had created rock edicts and inscriptions before Kharavela, his instructions for administration were written in a rude and choked style. However, the Hatigumpha inscription shows the language's flexibility and flow. The main feature of this inscription is based on principles of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
poetic structure, such as: When the Hatigumpha Inscription was created, its principles had been traced before. They were followed by
Rudradaman Rudradāman I (r. 130–150) was a Śaka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the king Caṣṭana. Rudradāman I was instrumental in the decline of the Sātavāhana Empire. Rudradāman I took up the title of '' Ma ...
(Girinar inscription 150 AD),
Samudragupta Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the Li ...
(Prayaga inscription 365 AD), Kumargupta (Mandasore inscription 473 AD), who created their own works in a poetic style on many rocks, in Sanskrit. The writing trend was not obstructed after Kharavela. The Asanapata inscription in Keonjhar created by Satru Bhanja, (a warrior of Odisha) was engraved in the temple, Laxminarayana of Simhanchalam by Mukunda Deva. In the beginning, these inscriptions had a dynamic journey from Pali to Sanskrit. Odia language, literature, script and culture are based on the discussions of these inscriptions. The words written in the Hatigumpha Inscription are still used.


Age of Charya literature (7th to 8th centuries CE)

The beginnings of Odia poetry coincide with the development of
Charyapada The Charyapada (IAST: Caryapāda, Assamese language, Assamese/Bengali language, Bengali: চর্যাপদ) is a collection of mystical poems, songs of realization in the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism from the tantra, tantric tradition in ...
or
Caryagiti Songs of realization, or Songs of Experience (; Devanāgarī: दोहा; Romanized Sanskrit: ''Dohā''; Oriya: ପଦ), are sung poetry forms characteristic of the tantric movement in both Vajrayana Buddhism and in Hinduism. Doha is also a spe ...
, literature started by
Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
poets.Mukherjee, Prabhat. ''The History of medieval Vaishnavism in Odisha''. Chapter: ''The Sidhacharyas in Odisha'' Page 55. This literature was written from the "Sandhya Bhasha" metaphor. Some of its poets such as
Luipa Luipa or Luipada (c. 10th century) was a mahasiddha siddhacharya from the Brahmaputra Valley or Luit. He was a Buddhist saint from the Kamrupian Kãivartā community. He was a poet and writer of a number of uddhist textsmainly the Charyapadas ...
and Kanhupa came from present-day Odisha. The language of Charya was considered to be
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
. In one of his poems, Kanhupa wrote: This poet used images and symbols from the social milieu/collective psychology so that deep realization could be grasped by readers. This kind of poetry, full of the mystery of ''
tantra Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...
'', spread throughout northeastern India from the 10th to the 14th centuries, and its style of expression was revived by the Odia poets of the 16th to the 19th centuries.


Pre-Sarala Age (12th to 14th centuries)

In the pre-Sarala period, Natha and Siddha literature flourished. The main works of this period are ''Shishu veda'' (an anthology of 24 ''dohas''), ''Amara Kosha'' and ''Gorakha Samhita. Shishu veda'' is mentioned in the works of
Sarala Das Sarala Dasa (born as Siddheswara Parida) was a 15th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature. Best known for three Odia books — ''Mahabharata'', '' Vilanka Ramayana'' and ''Chandi Purana'' — he was the first scholar to write in Odia and h ...
and the later 16th century poets. It is written in Dandi ''brutta''. Raja Balabhadra Bhanja wrote the love story, ''Bhagabati'' (ଭାଗବତୀ). Other important works of this period include ''Kalasha Chautisha''(କଳସ ଚଉତିଶା) (By Baccha Das)'', Somanatha bratakatha(ସୋମନାଥ ବ୍ରତକଥା), Nangala chauthi(ନଙ୍ଗଲା ଚଉଠି), Tapoi(ତପୋଇ),'' and ''Saptanga''(ସପ୍ତଙ୍ଗ)''. ''Rudrasudhanidhi'' is considered the first work of Odia prose, written by Abhadutta Narayan Swami. Markanda Das composed the first ''Koili'' (an ode to a cuckoo) in Odia just before Sarala Das. His composition ''Kesava Koili'' describes the pain of separation of Yasoda from her son Krishna. He is known to have composed the epic ''Daasagriba badha'', ''Jnaanodaya koili''.


Sarala Dasa

In the 15th century, Sanskrit was the language for literature in Odisha, while Odia was often considered the language of the commoners and
Dalits Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
(Untouchables), who had no access to education. The first great poet of Odisha with widespread readership was
Sarala Das Sarala Dasa (born as Siddheswara Parida) was a 15th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature. Best known for three Odia books — ''Mahabharata'', '' Vilanka Ramayana'' and ''Chandi Purana'' — he was the first scholar to write in Odia and h ...
, who translated the
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
into Odia. This was not an exact translation from the Sanskrit original, but rather an imitation. It can be seen as an original work. Sarala Das was given the title Shudramuni, or seer from a backward class. He had no formal education and did not know Sanskrit. This translation provided subsequent poets with the necessary foundation for a national literature, providing a fairly accurate idea of the Odia culture at the time. Dasa, born in 15th century Odisha under Gajapati emperor
Kapilendra Deva Kapilendra Deva (Odia: କପିଳେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଦେବ; r. 1434–1467 CE), was the founder of the Suryavamsa Gajapati Empire that ruled parts of eastern and southern India, including present-day Odisha as the center of the empire. He ca ...
, was acclaimed as the "Adikabi" or first poet. The reign of the Gajapatis is considered to be the golden period for Odisha art and literature. Kapilendra Deva patronized Odia language and literature along with Sanskrit, unlike his predecessors who used only Sanskrit. A short Odia poem ''Kebana Munikumara'' was found in the Sanskrit Drama ''Parashurama Vijaya,'' ascribed emperor
Kapilendra Deva Kapilendra Deva (Odia: କପିଳେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଦେବ; r. 1434–1467 CE), was the founder of the Suryavamsa Gajapati Empire that ruled parts of eastern and southern India, including present-day Odisha as the center of the empire. He ca ...
.Prachina_Odia_Kabita
/ref> Sarala Dasa's poetic gift was believed to come from Sarala (Saraswati), and that Sarala Das wrote the ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
'' while she dictated it. Though he wrote many poems and epics, he is best remembered for ''Mahabharata''. His other notable works are ''Chandi Purana'' and ''
Vilanka Ramayana Bilanka Ramayana, (ବିଲଙ୍କା ରାମାୟଣ) (also Vilanka Ramayana) is a 15th-century retelling of the Indian epic poem, the ''Ramayana'', written by Sarala Dasa in Odia. The work is generally regarded as forming a supplementar ...
''. He composed ''Lakshmi-Narayana Bachanika''. Arjuna Dasa, a contemporary of Sarala-Das, wrote ''Rama-Bibaha(ରାମ ବିବାହ)'', which is a significant long poem in Odia. He is the author of ''Kalpalata (କଳ୍ପଲତା)''.


Panchasakhas

Five notable Odia poets emerged during the late 15th and early 16th centuries:
Balarama Dasa Balarama Dasa (alternatively spelled ''Balaram Das''; ; ) was an Odia poet and litterateur An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for ...
, Atibadi Jagannath Das, Achyutananda Das,
Ananta Dasa Sisu Ananta Dasa (also spelled Ananta Dasa; ; born ) was an Odia poet, litterateur An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the norm ...
, and
Jasobanta Dasa Jasobanta Dasa (; born ) was an Odia poet, litterateur and mystic. He was one of the five great poets in Odia literature, the Panchasakha during the Bhakti age of literature. He is known for his work ''Prema Bhakti Brahma Gita''. Personal ...
. Although their works spanned over one hundred years, they are collectively known as the "Panchasakhas", since they adhered to the Utkaliya
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
school of thought. The word ''pancha'' means five, while the word ''sakha'' means friend. The Panchasakhas were Vaishnavas by faith. In 1509,
Shri Chaitanya Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krish ...
came to Odisha carrying his Vaishnava message of love. Before him,
Jaydev Jayadeva (; born ), also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem ''Gita Govinda'' which concentrates on Krishna's love with the '' gopi'', Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which prese ...
had prepared the ground for Vaishnavism through his
Gita Govinda The ''Gita Govinda'' ( sa, गीत गोविन्दम्; ) is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and ''gopis'' (female cow herders) of Vrindavan. The ''Gita G ...
. Chaitanya's path of devotion was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga. He introduced chanting as a way to form a spiritual connection and taught the importance of
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra) The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the (" ...
mantra A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
s. Unlike Chaitanya, the Panchasakhas believed in Gyana Mishra Bhakti Marga, similar to the Buddhist philosophy of
Charya Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism refers to the categorization of Buddhist tantric scriptures in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism inherited numerous tantras and forms of tantric practice from medieval Indian Buddhist Tantra. There wer ...
literature. The Panchasakhas were significant because of their poetry and their spiritual legacy. In the holy land of Kalinga (Odisha) saints, mystics, and devotional souls were born, fortifying its culture and spiritualism. The area uniquely includes temples of
Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...
,
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and Jagannatha
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. Rituals and traditions were sustained by various seers – including Buddhist ceremonies, Devi "Tantra" ( tantric rituals for Shakti),
Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
Marg and
Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
Marg. The origin of the Panchasakhas were described in Achyutananda's ''Shunya Samhita.'' As per his narration, towards the end of
Mahabharat The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
when Lord
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
was leaving his mortal body, Nilakantheswara Mahadeva appeared and revealed to him that the Lord's companions Dama, Sudama, Srivatsa, Subala, and Subahu would reincarnate in the ''
Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
'' and be known as Ananta, Acyutananda, Jagannatha, Balarama and Yasovanta, respectively. Thus, believers in the Panchasakha consider them to be the most intimate friends of Lord Krishna in ''
Dvapara Yuga ''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
'', who came again in ''Kali Yuga'' to serve him. They are instrumental in performing the crucial and much-awaited Yuga-Karma, where they destroy the sinners and save the saints, according to Sanatana-Hindu beliefs. Balaram Das's ''
Jagamohana Ramayana Jagamohana Ramayana ( or, ଜଗମୋହନ ରାମାୟଣ) also known as Dandi Ramayana popularly across Odisha is an epic poem composed by the 15th-century poet Balarama Dasa. This work is a retelling of the Ramayana though not a direct tra ...
'' provided one pillar, along with Sarala-Das's ''Mahabharata'', upon which subsequent Odia literature was built. His ''
Lakshmi Purana The Lakshmi Purana is an Odia text written in the 15th century by Balarama Dasa, a major poet of Odia literature. Despite its name, it is not one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism, having been written in the medieval era as a piece of re ...
'' is considered the first manifesto of women's liberation or feminism in Indian literature. His other major works are ''Gita Abakasa, Bhava samudra, Gupta Gita, Vedanta Sara, Mriguni Stuti, Saptanga Yogasara Tika, Vedanta Sara or Brahma Tika, Baula Gai gita, Kamala Lochana Chotisa, Kanta Koili, Bedha Parikrama, Brahma Gita, Brahmanda Bhugola, Vajra Kavacha, Jnana Chudamani, Virata Gita, Ganesha Vibhuti, and Amarakosha Gita.Orissa Review July 2014
/ref>'' The most influential work of this period was Atibadi Jagannath Das's ''Bhagabata'', which had a great influence on the Odia people as a day-to-day philosophical guide, as well as a lasting one in Odia culture. His other works include ''Gupta Bhagavat, Tula vina, Sola Chapadi, Chari Chapadi, Tola Bena, Daru Brahma Gita, Diksa Samyad, Artha Koili, Muguni Stuti, Annamaya Kundali, Goloka Sarodhara, Bhakti Chandrika, Kali Malika, Indra Malika, Niladri Vilasa, Nitya Gupta Chintamani, Sri Krishna Bhakti Kalpa Lata''. Shishu Ananta Das was born in Balipatana near Bhubaneswar in the late 15th century. He wrote ''Bhakti mukti daya gita'', ''Sisu Deva gita'', ''Artha tarani'', ''Udebhakara'', ''Tirabhakana'', a ''Malika'' and several bhajan poetries. Yashobanta Das was the composer of ''Govinda Chandra'' (a ballad or Gatha- Sangeeta)'', Premabhakti, Brahma Gita, Shiva Swarodaya, Sasti mala, Brahma gita, Atma pariche gita, a Malika'' and several ''bhajans''. Mahapurusha Achyutananda is the most prolific writer of the Panchasakhas. He is believed to have been born through special divine intervention from Lord
Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
. The name Achyuta literally means "created from Lord Vishnu". He is also referred to as "Achyuti", i.e. "He who has no fall" in Odia. He was born to Dinabandhu Khuntia & Padma Devi in Tilakona, Nemal around 1485 AD. He established spiritual energetic centers called "gadis" across east India (in the former states of Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Magadha) and Nepal. Gadis such as Nemal, Kakatpur, Garoi, and Jobra Ghat were places for spiritual action, discourse and penance. He was learned in
Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...
, sciences and social regulations. His works are ''Harivamsa, Tattva bodhini, Sunya samhita, Jyoti samhita, Gopala Ujjvala, Baranasi Gita, Anakara Brahma Samhita, Abhayada Kavacha, Astagujari, Sarana panjara stotra, Vipra chalaka, Manamahima, Maalika.'' The Panchasakha's individual characteristics are described as follows (in Odia and English): During the Panchasakha era another seer, Raghu Arakhsita, who was not part of the Panchasakhas but was a revered saint, composed several ''padabalis'' in Odia. The Panchasakha and Arakhshita together are known as the Sada-Goswami (six Lords). Madhavi Pattanayak or Madhavi Dasi is considered as the first Odia woman poet who was a contemporary of Prataprudra Deva and wrote several devotional poems for Lord Jagannatha.


Riti Juga (16th to mid 17th centuries)

Several ''kaalpanika'' (imaginative) and ''pauraanika'' (
Puranic Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
) ''kavyas'' were composed during this period that formed the foundation for Riti Juga. The major works of this era (other than those by the Panchasakhas) are ''Gopakeli'' and ''Parimalaa'' authored by Narasingha Sena, contemporary of Gajapati emperor Prataprudra Deva, ''Chataa Ichaamat''i and ''Rasa'' by Banamali Das, ''Premalochana, Bada Shakuntala'' & ''Kalaabati'' by Vishnu Das, ''Nrushingha puran''a and ''Nirguna Mahatmya'' by Chaitanya Dash (born in Kalahandi), ''Lilaabati'' by Raghunatha Harichandan, ''Usha Bilasa'' by Shishu shankar Das, ''Sasisena'' by Pratap Rai, ''Rahashya Manjari'' by Devadurlava Das, ''Hiraabati'' by Ramachandra Chottaray, ''Deulatola'' by Nilambara Das, ''Prema Panchamruta'' by Bhupati Pandit, ''Rukmini Vivaha'' by Kartik Das, ''Goparasa'' by Danai Das and ''Kanchi Kaveri'' by Purushotama Das. In the 16th century three poets translated Jayadeva's Gita Govinda into Odia. They were Dharanidhara Mishra, Brindavan Das (''Rasabaridhi'') and Trilochan Das (''GovindaGita''). Brundabati Dasi, a woman poet wrote ''Purnatama Chandrodaya Kavya'' towards the end of the 17th century. Several Chautishas (a form of Odia poetry where 34 stanzas from "ka" to "Khsya" are placed at the start of each composition) were composed during this time. The best known are ''Milana Chautisha'', ''Mandakini Chautisha'', ''Barshabharana Chautisha'', ''Rasakulya Chautisha'', and ''Manobodha Chautisha''. Muslim poet
Salabega Salabega (, 1607/1608 –?) was an Odia religious poet of India in the early 17th century who wrote Jagannatha bhajans. He was Muslim by birth but his devotion for the Hindu God made Lord Jagannath stop his Ratha Jātrā (Rath Yatra) in Odi ...
was a devotional poet who composed several poems dedicated to Lord
Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
during Jahangir's reign in the 17th century.


Age of Upendra Bhanja

After the Panchasakhas, prominent works included the ''Usabhilasa'' of Sisu Sankara Das, the ''Rahasya-manjari'' of Deva-durlabha Dasa and the ''Rukmini-bibha'' of Karttika Das. A new form of novels in verse evolved at the beginning of the 17th century when Ramachandra Pattanayaka wrote ''Haravali''. The prominent poets, however, are Dhananjaya Bhanja (born 1611. AD), Dinakrushna Das (born 1650. AD),
Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja ''Kabi Samrata'' Upendra Bhanja () was a 17th-century Odia poet-composer of classical Odissi music.Mansingha, Mayadhar: ''History of Oriya Literature'': Publisher, Sahitya Akademi, Delhi He is most known for his Odissi songs and kabyas written i ...
(born 1670. AD) and Abhimanyu Samantasinhara. Their poetry, especially that of Upendra Bhanja, is characterised by verbal tricks, obscenity and eroticism.
Upendra Bhanja ''Kabi Samrata'' Upendra Bhanja () was a 17th-century Odia poet-composer of classical Odissi music.Mansingha, Mayadhar: ''History of Oriya Literature'': Publisher, Sahitya Akademi, Delhi He is most known for his Odissi songs and kabyas written i ...
s works such as ''Baidehisha Bilasa'', ''Koti Brahmanda Sundari'' and ''Labanyabati'' are landmarks. He was conferred the title "Kabi Samrat" of Odia literature for his poetic sense and skill with words. He wrote 52 books, of which only 25–26 survive. He contributed more than 35,000 words to Odia literature and is considered the greatest poet of Riti Juga. Poet Dhananjaya Bhanja (1611–1701), was also king of Ghumusar and grandfather of Upendra Bhanja, wrote several ''kavyas'' including ''Anangarekha, Ichaavati, Raghunatha Bilasa, and Madana Manjari''. Besides Tribikrama Bhanja (author of ''Kanakalata'') and Ghana Bhanja (author of ''Trailokyamohini'', ''Rasanidhi,'' and ''Govinda Bilasha'') of the Bhanja royal family also enriched Odia Literature. Lokanatha Vidyadhara, a contemporary of Upendra Bhanja, wrote ''Sarbanga Sundari.'' Dinakrushna Das's ''Rasokallola'' and Abhimanyu Samanta Simhara's ''Bidagdha Chintamani'' are prominent ''kavyas'' of this time. ''Bidagdha Chintamani'' is considered the longest ''kavya'' in Odia literature with 96 cantos exceeding Upendra's longest ''kavya'' of 52 cantos. Other prominent works of Abhimanyu Samanta Simhara are ''Sulakhshyana, Prema Chintaamani, Prema Kala, Rasaabati, Prematarangini''. A new form of poetry called ''Bandha kabita'' started, where the poem was written within the ''bandha'' or frame of a picture. Upendra Bhanja pioneered this pictorial poetry. His ''Chitrakavya Bandhodaya'' is the first such creation, containing 84 pictorial poems. Poets in this tradition include Sadananda Kabisurya Bramha (''Lalita Lochana'' and ''Prema Kalpalata''), Tribikrama Bhanja (''Kanakalata''), Kesabaraja Harichandana (''Rasa Sindhu Sulakhshyana'').


Late Riti Juga

Towards the end of Riti Yuga, four major poets emerged. These were Kabi Surya Baladeb Rath, Brajanath Badajena, Gopalakrushna Pattanayaka and
Bhima Bhoi Bhima Bhoi (1850–1895) was a 19th-century saint, poet and philosopher from the state of Odisha in India, most known for his songs on the philosophical aspects of ''Mahima Dharma''. Bhima Bhoi was a ''bhakta'' (Odia: devotee) of Mahima Gosain, ...
. Kabisurya
Baladev Rath ''Kabisurjya'' Baladeba Ratha (alternatively spelled ''Kabisurya, Kavisurya Baladev Rath,'' ; c. 1789 – 1845) was an Indian poet who wrote in the Odia language, and a composer and musician of Odissi music, most known as poet-composer of the '' ...
wrote his poems in ''champu'' (mixture of prose and poetry) and ''chautisha'' styles. His greatest work is ''Kishore Chandranana Champu'' which is extensively used in Odissi Music. Brajanath Badjena started a tradition of prose fiction, though he was not a great talent. His ''Chatur Binoda'' (Amusement of Intelligent) seems to be the first work that deals with different kinds of ''rasas'', predominantly the ''bibhatsa rasa'', but often verges on nonsense. The style of ''Chitra Kavya'' (mixture of poetry and paintings) was at its best in the 18th century. Several ''chitra pothis'' can be traced to this time. ''Bichitra Ramayana'' of Biswanaath Khuntia was composed in the early 18th century. Pitambar Das wrote the epic ''Narasingha Purana'' in seven parts called ''Ratnakaras'' then. Maguni Pattanaik composed ''Rama Chandra Vihara''. ''Rama Lila'' was composed by Vaishya Sadashiva and Ananga Narendra. Bhima Bhoi, the blind poet born in a tribal Khondh family is known for his compositions '' Stuticintamani'', ''Bramha Nirupana Gita'', ''Shrutinishedha Gita''. The other major poets at this time were
Banamali Dasa Banamali Dasa (; 1720–1793) is an Indian medieval Odia ''bhakta''-poet & composer of Odissi music from the state of Odisha. "''Dinabandhu daitari''", "''Kede chanda jane lo sahi''" and "''Manima he etiki maguni mora''" are some of his ...
,
Jadumani Mahapatra Jadumani Mahapatra (alternatively spelled ''Mohapatra''; ; 1781–1866) also known as ''Utkala Ghanta'' was an Odia language poet, humorist and satirist, who was principal poet during the rule of King Vinayak Singh Mandhata of Nayagarh princel ...
, Bhaktacharan Das (author of ''Manabodha Chautisha'' and ''Mathura Mangala''), Haribandhu, Gaurahari, Gauracharana, and Krishna Simha.


Age of Radhanath

Christian missionaries printed the first works in Odia in 1836. Books began replacing palm leaf inscription. Journals and periodicals then became available in Odia. The first Odia magazine, ''Bodha Dayini'' was published in
Balasore Balasore or Baleswara is a city in the state of Odisha, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar and from Kolkata, in eastern India. It is the largest town of northern Odisha and the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It i ...
in 1861. Its goal was to promote Odia literature and critique government policy. The first Odia newspaper ''The Utkala Deepika'', launched in 1866 under editors Gourishankar Ray and Bichitrananda. ''Utkal Deepika'' campaigned to bring all Odia-speaking areas under one administration, to develop Odia language and literature and to protect Odia interests. In 1869 Bhagavati Charan Das started another newspaper, ''Utkal Subhakari'', to propagate the Brahmo faith. In the last three and a half decades of the 19th century, more Odia newspapers launched. Prominent examples included ''Utkal Deepika'', ''Utkal Patra'', ''Utkal Hiteisini'' from Cuttack, ''Utkal Darpan'' and ''Sambada Vahika'' from Balasore and ''Sambalpur Hiteisini'' from Deogarh. These periodicals encouraged modern literature and offered a broad audience for Odia writers.
Radhanath Ray Radhanath Ray ( or, ରାଧାନାଥ ରାୟ) (28 September 1848 – 17 April 1908) was an Odia writer of initial modernity era in Odia poetry during the later part of nineteenth century. He was born in a Zamindar family in Baleshwa ...
(1849–1908) is the most well-known poet of this period. He wrote with a Western influence, and his ''kavyas'' included Chandrabhaga, Nandikeshwari, Usha, Mahajatra, Darbar, and Chilika. Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843–1918) became the best known Odia fiction writer. He was called the Vyasakabi or founding poet of the Odia language. Senapati was born in the coastal town of Balasore, and worked as a government administrator. Enraged by the attempts of the
Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the ...
to marginalize or replace the
Odia language Odia (, ISO: , ; formerly rendered Oriya ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha (formerly rendered Orissa), where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also ...
, he took to creative writing late in life. He did translations from Sanskrit, wrote poetry and attempted many forms of literature, but is now known as the father of modern Odia prose fiction. His ''
Rebati Rebati ( Odia: ରେବତୀ), is a short story by Fakir Mohan Senapati, published in 1898. It is considered first ever short story published in . Theme Rebati is the story of a young girl whose desire for education in the backdrop of a co ...
'' (1898) is widely recognized as the first Odia short story. ''Rebati'' is the story of a young girl whose desire for education is placed in the context of a conservative society in a backward Odisha village, which is hit by a
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic. His other stories are "Patent Medicine", "Dak Munshi", and "Adharma Bitta". Senapati is known for his novel
Chha Maana Atha Guntha ''Chha Maana Atha Guntha'' ( or, ଛ ମାଣ ଆଠ ଗୁଣ୍ଠ, ) is a 19th-century Indian novel in the Odia language by Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843–1918), published in an English language translation by the University of California P ...
. This was the first Indian novel to deal with the exploitation of landless peasants by a feudal lord. It was written well before the
October revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
in Russia. Other eminent Odia writers and poets of the time include
Gangadhar Meher Swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher () was a renowned Odia poet of the 19th century. Though poor in wealth and education, he remained one of the most prolific and original contributor to Odia literature. Childhood Gangadhara was born in 1862 on the ...
(1862–1924),
Madhusudan Rao Madhusudan Rao (19 January 1853 – 28 December 1912) was an Odia poet and writer from India. He was known as ''Bhaktakabi''. His most well known work is the ''Chhabila Madhu Barnabodha''. Life He was born on 19 January 1853 in the district o ...
, Chintamani Mohanty,
Nanda Kishore Bal Nanda Kishore Bal (22 December 1875 – 1 July 1928), was an Indian poet of the era of initial modernity in Odia poetry. He was born at Kusupur village in the Cuttack district of Odisha. He was initially named as Rasananda Jena. Later he was ado ...
(1875-1928) Gourishankar Ray (1838-1917) and
Reba Ray Reba Ray (1876 – 1957) was an Indian Odia poet educationist and administrator. Best known as one of the earliest Odia women writers, she was also founder of Model Girls' School, Cuttack. Her short story ''Sanyasi'' is considered earliest moder ...
(1876-1957).


Age of Satyabadi

During the age of Radhanath the literary world was divided between the classicists, led by the magazine ''The Indradhanu'', and the modernists, led by the magazine ''Bijuli''.
Gopabandhu Das Gopabandhu Das (1877–1928), popularly known as ''Utkalamani'' (''Jewel of Utkal'' or Odisha), was a social worker, reformer, political activist, journalist, poet and essayist. Early life Gopabandhu Das was born on 9 October 1877 in Suando ...
(1877–1928) was a great balancer and realized that a nation, as well as its literature, lives by its traditions. He believed that a modern national superstructure could only endure if based on solid historical foundations. He wrote a satirical poem in ''The Indradhanu'', which led to punishment by the Inspector of Schools, but he refused to apologise. Gopabandhu joined Ravenshaw College in Cuttack to pursue graduation after this incident. He started the ''Kartavya Bodhini Samiti'' (Duty Awakening Society) in college to encourage his friends to take on social, economic and political problems and become responsible citizens. While leading a team to serve flood victims, Gopabandhu heard that his son was seriously ill. He preferred, however, to save the "sons of the soil" rather than his own son. His mission was to reform society and develop education in the name of a social service vision. He lost his wife at age twenty-eight, after losing all three of his sons. He left his two daughters and his property in the village with his elder brother, rejecting worldly life. For this social service mission he is regarded by Odias as the Utkalmani. As freedom movements began, a new era in literary thought emerged influenced by
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
and
nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
. Gopabandhu was a large part of this idealistic movement, founding a school in Satyabadi and influencing many writers. Other famous writers included Godabarisha Mishra, Nilakantha Dash, Harihara Acharya, and Krupasinshu. They are known as 'Panchasakhas' for their similarities with the historical Age of Panchasakhas. Their principle genres were criticism, essays and poetry. Chintamani Das is particularly renowned. He was born in 1903 in Sriramachandrapur village near Sakhigopal. He was bestowed with the Sahitya Akademi Samman in 1970 for his contributions. Some of his well-known literary works are ''Manishi Nilakantha'', ''Bhala Manisa Hua'', ''Usha'', ''Barabati'', ''Byasakabi Fakiramohan'' and ''Kabi Godabarisha''.


Age of Romanticism or Sabuja Yuga

During the 1930s Odia literature was Influenced by the romantic thoughts of
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
and progressive Marxist movements. Kalindi Charan Panigrahi (the brother of Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi who founded Marxism in Odisha) formed a group called "Sabuja Samiti" with two of his writer friends
Annada Shankar Ray Annada Shankar Ray (15 March 1904 – 28 October 2002) was an Indian poet and essayist in Bengali. He also wrote some Odia poetry. He wrote several Bengali poems criticising the Partition of India. Most notable is "''Teler shishi bhaanglo bole k ...
and Baikuntha Patnaik. This was a short period in Odia literature, later folded into Gandhian and Marxist work.
Kalindi Charan Panigrahi Kalindi Charan Panigrahi (2 July 1901 – 15 May 1991) was a noted Odia poet, novelist, story writer, dramatist, and essayist. He is famous for his magnum opus ''Matira Manisha''. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan and Sahitya Akademi award for ...
later wrote his famous novel '' Matira Manisha'', which was influenced by Gandhism, and Annada Shankar Ray left for Bengali literature. Mayadhar Mansingh was a renowned poet of that time, but though he was considered a Romantic poet he kept his distance from the influence of Rabindranath.


Pragati Yuga

Nabajuga Sahitya Sansad, formed in 1935, was one of India's first progressive literary organizations, contemporaneous to other progressive writers' movements. The founders of the Progressive Movement in Odisha were Nabakrushna Choudhury, Bhagabati Panigrahi and Ananta Patnaik. At the inaugural session of Nabajuga Sahitya Sansad, freedom fighter Malati Choudhury sang "Nabeena Jugara Taruna Jagare" written by Ananta Patnaik. Nabajuga Sahity Sansad published ''Adhunika'', the first progressive literary magazine in Odia. ''Adhuinka'' was conceived, initiated, edited, published and nurtured by Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi and Ananta Patnaik. Many writers of that time wrote in ''Adhunika''.


Modern age


''Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha''

The ''Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha'' is a 7-volume Odia dictionary/encyclopedia of about 9,500 pages published between 1930 and 1940. It was compiled by Gopal Chandra Praharaj (1874–1945) over nearly three decades. Praharaj conceived of and compiled the work and also raised the money to print it through public donations, grants and subscriptions and supervised the printing and the sales of the published work. It lists some 185,000 words and their meanings in four languages – Odia, English, Hindi and Bengali. It includes quotations from classical works illustrating the usage of various words. It includes information such as botanical names of local plants, information on astronomy and long articles on various topics of local interest. It also includes biographies of personalities connected with Odisha's history and culture. ''Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha'' touches on many aspects of Odia and Odisha, as well as many topics of general interest. Its author was a lawyer by profession and was ridiculed and reviled during production. Many printed copies were destroyed unbound and unsold. Many copies sat in libraries of princes who had patronised the work. Most of these copies were sold cheaply when the princes met financial straits. Few copies survive, and those that exist are fragile and worm-damaged.


Poetry

As the successors of Sachi Routray, the father of modern Odia poetry, Guruprasad Mohanty and Bhanuji Rao were influenced by
T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National B ...
and published a co-authored poetry book ''Nutan Kabita''.
Ramakanta Rath Ramakanta Rath (born 13 December 1934) is one of the most renowned modernist poets in the Odia literature. Heavily influenced by the poets such as T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, Rath experimented greatly with form and style. The quest for the my ...
later modified Eliot's ideas in his own work. According to Rath: "After the publication of Kalapurusha Guru Prasad's poetry collection influenced by T.S. Eliot’s ''The Waste Land'' we realized that a sense of alienation is the main ingredient of modern poetry." Before independence Odia poetry was mostly written with Sanskritic or "literary" idiom, but after independence poets freely used of Western concepts, idioms, images and adaptation of Western myths.
Ramakanta Rath Ramakanta Rath (born 13 December 1934) is one of the most renowned modernist poets in the Odia literature. Heavily influenced by the poets such as T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, Rath experimented greatly with form and style. The quest for the my ...
,
Sitakant Mahapatra Sitakant Mahapatra (born 17 September 1937) is an Indian poet and literary critic in Odia as well as English. He served in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1961 until he retired in 1995, and has held ''ex officio'' posts such as the ...
, Soubhagya Kumar Mishra, Rajendra Kishore Panda,
Pratibha Satpathy Pratibha Satpathy (born: 27 November 1945) is a poet of Odia literature. She has been recognised as one of the leading poets of the country and has been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award. Biography She has been writing poetry in Odia f ...
,
Mamata Dash Mamata Dash (''nee'' Mohapatra ; born 4 October 1947) is an Odia poet, writer and translator. She was awarded the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award for her poetry collection ''Ekatra Chandrasurya''. Early life Dash was born on 4 October 1947 at Jaga ...
,
Haraprasad Das Haraprasad Das (born 15 January 1946), is an Odia language poet, essayist and columnist. Das, has twelve works of poetry, four of prose, three translations and one piece of fiction to his credit. Haraprasad, is a retired civil servant. He has ...
are the best known. From the mid 1960s and into the 1970s the prominent poets of Odia were: Radha Mohan Gadanayak, Benudhar Rout, Brajanath Rath, Bangali Nanda, Harihar Mishra, Dipak Mishra, Kamalakant Lenka, Banshidhar Sarangi, Durga Charan Parida, Devdas Chhotray, Saroj Ranjan Mohanty, Amaresh Patnaik, Ashutosh Parida, Prasanna Patsani, Hussain Rabi Gandhi, and Sadasiba Dash. Other poets of this time are: Hrishkesh Mullick, Satrughna Pandab, Prabasini Mahakuda, Aaparna Mohanty, Aswini Mishra, Roninikant Mukherjee, Girija Baliarsingh, and Ramesh Pati. The early 1980s introduced poets with new thoughts and styles. They mixed Odia heritage and culture with the feelings of common people. They were somehow nearer to the readers as they avoided ambiguity in their expression. The prominent poets of this time included
Manasi Pradhan Manasi Pradhan (born 4 October 1962) is an Indian women's rights activist and author. She is the founder of Honour for Women National Campaign, a nationwide movement to end violence against women in India. In 2014, she was conferred with Rani ...
. Modern feminist poetry in Odia includes works by Pravasini Mahakud,
Mamata Dash Mamata Dash (''nee'' Mohapatra ; born 4 October 1947) is an Odia poet, writer and translator. She was awarded the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award for her poetry collection ''Ekatra Chandrasurya''. Early life Dash was born on 4 October 1947 at Jaga ...
and Giribala Mohanty, whose works featured in several anthologies and were translated into English.


Fiction


Before the 1970s

In the post-independence era Odia fiction took a new direction. The trend that Fakir Mohan started grew after independence, led by
Gopinath Mohanty Gopinath Mohanty (1914–1991), winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 – for his novel, ''Amrutara Santana'' – was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prak ...
(1914–1991),
Surendra Mohanty Surendra Mohanty (21 June 1922- 21 December 1990) born in Odisha was an Indian author who wrote in Odia. He was the recipient of the Central Sahitya Academy Award for his novel ''Nilashaila''. Career He was the president of Odisha Sahitya A ...
and
Manoj Das Manoj Das (27 February 1934 – 27 April 2021) was an Indian author who wrote in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded the Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, Padma Bhus ...
(1934–2021 ). These authors pioneered the trend of developing or projecting the "individual as protagonist" in Odia fiction. Eminent feminist writer and critic
Sarojini Sahoo Sarojini Sahoo (born 4 January 1956) is an Indian feminist writer, a columnist in ''The New Indian Express'' and an associate editor of Chennai-based English magazine ''Indian AGE.'' She has been enlisted among '' 25 Exceptional Women of India ...
believes that Surendra Mohanty's "Ruti O Chandra" should be considered the first story of the individualistic approach, rather than Gopinath's story "Dan". The major difference between the two is that Gopinath is more optimistic while Surendra is nihilistic. This nihilism prepared the ground for an existentialist movement in Odia literature. Surendra Mohanty's short story collections and novels include ''Krushna Chuda'', ''Mahanagarira Rati'', ''Ruti O Chandra'', ''Maralara Mrutyu'', ''Shesha Kabita'', ''Dura Simanta'', ''Oh Calcutta'', ''Kabi-O- Nartaki'', ''Sabuja Patra-O-Dhusara Golap'', ''Nila Shaila'' and ''Andha Diganta''. In his fiction
Gopinath Mohanty Gopinath Mohanty (1914–1991), winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 – for his novel, ''Amrutara Santana'' – was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prak ...
explores all aspects of Odishan life, including the plains and the hills. He uses a lyrical prose style, adopting the day-to-day speech of ordinary men and women. Gopinath's first novel, ''Mana Gahtra Chasa'', was published in 1940, followed by ''Dadi Budha'' (1944), ''Paraja'' (1945) and ''Amrutara Santan'' (1947). He published 24 novels, 10 collections of short stories, three plays, two biographies, two volumes of critical essays and five books on the languages of Kandh, Gadaba and Saora tribes. He translated Tolstoy's ''War and Peace'' (''Yuddh O Shanti'') in three volumes (tr. 1985–86) and Tagore's ''
Jogajog ''Jogajog'' or ''Yogayog'' is a novel by Rabindranath Tagore. It was published in book form in 1929 (Asharh 1336). It was first serialised in the magazine ''Bichitra'' from Ashwin 1334 to Choitro 1335. In the first two issues the novel was titled ...
'' (tr. 1965) into Odia. Kalpanakumari Devi's sequence of novels, in particular, her ''Srushti o pralaya'' (1959), documented social change in the country. Starting his literary career as a communist and later becoming an Aurobindian philosopher,
Manoj Das Manoj Das (27 February 1934 – 27 April 2021) was an Indian author who wrote in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded the Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, Padma Bhus ...
wrote in Odia and English. His major Odia works are: ''Shesha Basantara Chithi'' (1966), ''Manoj Dasanka Katha O Kahani'' (1971), ''Dhumabha Diganta'' (1971), ''Manojpancabimsati'' (1977) and ''Tuma Gam O Anyanya Kabita'' (1992). Notable English works include ''The crocodile's lady : a collection of stories'' (1975), ''The submerged valley and other stories'', ''Farewell to a ghost : short stories and a novelette'' (1994), ''Cyclones'' (1987) and ''A tiger at twilight'' (1991). Ananta Charan Sukla's short story collection, ''Sulataku Sesa Chitthi'' (Last Letter to Sulata) was published in 1965. The ten stories included in this book are "Sulataku Sesa Chitthi", "Kapilas", "Janeika Kulapati-nka Mrutyu", "Tandril Ru Tornoto", "Mystic Realistic", "Prasanta Samudra: Asanta Lahari", "Nalakula Matha, Nepala Babu O Narana", "Daudana Bada Khara", "Duragata" and "Sandipani-ra Symphony". Other significant pre-1970s fiction writers are Chandrasekhar Rath, Shantanu Kumar Acharya, Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo, Akhil Mohan Patnaik, Gobind Das, Rabi Patnaik and
Jagannath Prasad Das Jagannath Prasad Das (born 26 April 1936) is an Indian writer, poet,painter, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia. Life Starting his career with a brief teaching assignment as assistant professor in the University of Allahabad, he joi ...
. Chandra Sekhar Rath's novel ''Jantrarudha'' is a classic of this period. Shantanu Acharya's novel ''Nara-Kinnara'' was also influential.


After the 1970s

In the 1960s a small magazine ''Uan Neo Lu'' in Cuttack, challenged these authors' approaches. The title of the magazine was made up of three unused Odia alphabets. Writers associated with the magazine included Annada Prasad Ray, Guru Mohanty, Kailash Lenka, and Akshyay Mohanty. These writers began a revolution in Odia fiction. They introduced sexuality in their work and created a new prose style. In the late 1960s many "groups" of writers emerged from different parts of Odisha. Anamas from Puri, Abadhutas from Balugaon, Panchamukhi from Balangir, Abujha from Berhampur and Akshara group from Sambalpur created a sensation. Changes that started in the 1960s were confirmed in the next decade by authors such as Jagadish Mohanty, Kanheilal Das, Satya Mishra, Ramchandra Behera, Tarun Kanti Mishra, Padmaja Pal,
Yashodhara Mishra Dr. Yashodhara Mishra (born 1951) is a Odia writer and poet. She is a professor of English who has published poems, several collections of short stories and novels. She was a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Life Mishra was bor ...
and Sarojini Sahoo. Kanheilal Das and Jagadish Mohanty began creating a style popular among a general audience as well as intellectuals. Jagadish Mohanty introduced
existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
to Odia literature. His works include ''Ekaki Ashwarohi'', ''Dakshina Duari Ghara'', ''Album'', ''Dipahara Dekhinathiba Lokotie'', ''Nian O Anyanya Galpo'', ''Mephestophelesera Pruthibi'', ''Nija Nija Panipatha'', ''Kanishka Kanishka, Uttaradhikar,'' and ''Adrushya Sakal''. Ramchandra Behera is known for short story collections ''Dwitiya Shmashana'', ''Abashishta Ayusha'', ''Omkara Dhwani'', ''Bhagnangshara Swapna'' and ''Achinha Pruthibi''. Padmaj Pal is known for short story collections, including ''Eaglera Nakha Danta'', ''Sabuthu Sundar Pakshi'', ''Jibanamaya'' and ''Uttara Purusha''. Tarun Kanti Mishra emerged during 1970s as a powerful storyteller with an elegant style, full of poise and vigor. His outstanding works include ''Sharadah Shatam'' ( A Thousand Autumns), – a novel dealing with resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh—and anthologies of short stories such as ''Komal Gandhar'', ''Bitansa'', ''Bhaswati'' and ''Akash Setu''. Sarojini Sahoo, who became known as a feminist writer, contributed to Odia fiction. Her novel ''Gambhiri Ghara'' is a landmark, that gained international recognition for its feminist and liberal ideas. Her other works include ''Amrutara Pratikshare'', ''Chowkatha'', ''Upanibesh'', ''Pratibandi'', ''Paksibasa'', ''Tarlijauthiba Durga'', ''Dukha Apramita'', ''Gambhiri Ghara'' and ''Mahajatra''. Kanaklata Hati, another women fiction writer whose writing featured psychoanalysis of the female mind. To date she published two-story collections, ''Nirbak Pahada'' and ''Kuhudi Ghara''. Her story collections ''Galpa Galpantara'' and ''Praibeshi Galpa'' were translated.


Popular fiction

A popular Odia literature emerged in the 1970s, particularly read by rural women. The best selling writers are Bhagirathi Das, Kanduri Das, Bhagwana Das, Bibhuti Patnaik and
Pratibha Ray Pratibha Ray (born 21 January 1944) is an Indian academic and writer of Odia-language novels and stories. For her contribution to the Indian literature, Ray received the Jnanpith Award in 2011. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2022. Life ...
. Some of their works were made into Odia films. In recent times Rabi Kaunungo, Tarun Kanti Mishra, Ajay Swain, Mrinal Chatterjee, Radhu Mishra, Dr Laxmikant Tripathy, Nisith Bose, Suniti Mund, Anjan Chand and Dr. Kulangara contributed to popular writing.


Women writers

Women's magazine ''Sucharita'' was founded in 1975 by Sakuntala Panda. It had a significant impact in helping female writers find an audience. Its writers include Giribala Mohanty, Jayanti Rath, Susmita Bagchi. Paramita Satpathy, Hiranmayee Mishra, Chirashree Indra Singh, Sairindhree Sahoo, Supriya Panda, Gayatri Saraf, Suniti Mund and Mamatamay. Chowdhry. Giribala Mohanty (1947–) is noted for her deep sensitiveness for women's issues. Her poems depict the binary of women's social apathy and self-confidence. Her collections of poems include ''Streeloka'' (Women), ''Kalijhia'' (The Dark complexion Girl), ''Ma Habara Dukha'' (The sorrow of being a mother) and ''Kati Katia Katyayani''. Sahoo had a significant influence on these women. Sahoo claims that women are an "Other" from the masculine perspective, but that they are entitled to equal human rights according to
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
. Suniti Mund's story book ''Anustupa'', poetry book ''Jhia'' and novels ''Abhisapta'', ''Agarbatira Ghara'', ''Matrimony dot com'' and ''Gigolo'' also present a feminist voice.


Drama

The traditional Odia theater is the folk opera, or jatra, which flourishes in rural Odisha. Modern theater is not commercially viable, although in the 1960s experimental theatre made a mark through the works of
Manoranjan Das Manoranjan Das (23 July 1923 – 17 February 2013) was an influential Indian dramatist, and pioneer of modernism in Odia Literature. He was known for his experimentalism and deep socio-political awareness, who became most known in the 1960s wi ...
, who pioneered an experimental theater movement. Bijay Mishra, Biswajit Das, Kartik Rath, Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Ratnakar Chaini, Prasanna Das, Pramod Kumar Tripathy, Sankar Tripathy, Ranjit Patnaik, Dr. Pradip Bhowmic, Hemendra Mahapatra, and Purna Chandra Mallick continued the tradition. Tripathy's contribution to the growth and development of is recognised.
Ananta Charan Sukla Ananta Charan Sukla (also Ananta Ch. Sukla or A. C. Sukla; 6 November 1942 – 30 September 2020) was an Indian scholar of comparative literature, literary criticism, aesthetics, philosophy, and art history. He was the Founding Editor of '' J ...
translated four classic Greek dramas. His 1974 book, ''Greek Drama'' has translations (with commentary) of ''
Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' ( grc, Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης, ''Promētheús Desmṓtēs'') is an Ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ante ...
'' (by Aeschylus), ''
Oedipus the King ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...
'' (by Sophocles),
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
(by Euripides) and
The Frogs ''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in ...
(by Aristophanes). Sukla's translations were staged in various colleges and universities. He wrote two historical plays on Odia freedom fighters Chakhi Khuntia and Jayee Rajguru that were widely staged. Amateur theater groups and drama competitions operate there. Opera is commercially viable.


Science fiction

Popular science fiction writers include
Prana Krushna Parija Prana Krushna Parija OBE (1 April 1891 – 2 June 1978; born in Jagatsinghpur district) was an Indian botanist. His research work comprised mainly fundamental and applied aspects of plant physiology, experimental plant morphology, and ecologica ...
, Padmashree Binod Kanungo, Prof Gokulananda Mohapatra, Prof Gadadhar Mishra, Prof Kulamani Samal, Sarat Kumar Mohanty, Prof Amulya Kumar Panda, Dr. Nikhilanand Panigrahy, Dr. Debakanta Mishra, Dr.Ramesh Chandra Parida, Sashibhusan Rath, Dr. Chitta Ranjan Mishra, Dr. Nityananada Swain, Dr. Choudhury Satybrata Nanda, Er. Mayadhar Swain, Kamalakanta Jena, Himansu Sekhar Fatesingh and Bibhuprasad Mohapatra. Nikhilanand Panigrahy's ''Sampratikatara Anuchintare Bigyan O Baigyanik'' became popular. Sashibhusan Rath's ''Vigyan Chinta'' and Kamalakanta Jena's ''Gapare Gapare Bigyan'' (Awarded by Odisha Bigyan Academy 2011) are written for children and adults.


Odia and world literature


Odia translation of classics

The first foreign book to be translated into Odia was the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
's
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
in 1809. It was followed by translation of Hebrew poems by J. Carey in 1814 and John Bunyan's classic ''
The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'' by A. Sutton in 1820.
Madhusudan Rao Madhusudan Rao (19 January 1853 – 28 December 1912) was an Odia poet and writer from India. He was known as ''Bhaktakabi''. His most well known work is the ''Chhabila Madhu Barnabodha''. Life He was born on 19 January 1853 in the district o ...
translated William Cowper's ''Solitude of Alexander Selkirk'' as ''Nirbasitara Vilaapa''. Other notable translations include Arnold's and
Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...
's classics translated by
Godabarish Mishra Pandit Godabarish Mishra (26 October 1886 – 26 July 1956) was a poet and notable socialist from Odisha, India. He is known for his contribution to Odia literature. Early life Godabarish Mishra was born to Lingaraj Mishra & Apsara Devi in a ...
and
Nilakantha Das Pandit Nilakantha Das (1884-1967) was one of the most illustrious sons of Odisha, who appeared both in its ''political and literary arena'' at the most crucial period of its history, when Odisha had no political identity in the map of India, and O ...
, besides translation of '' Sohrab and Rustum'' by Radha Mohan Gadanayak and ''
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
'' by Govinda Tripathy etc. Prof.
Ananta Charan Sukla Ananta Charan Sukla (also Ananta Ch. Sukla or A. C. Sukla; 6 November 1942 – 30 September 2020) was an Indian scholar of comparative literature, literary criticism, aesthetics, philosophy, and art history. He was the Founding Editor of '' J ...
's translation (with commentary) of Aristotle's ''Poetics'' (ଆରିଷ୍ଟୋଟଲଙ୍କ କାବ୍ୟ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ) published in the late 1960s was only the second translation of this classic in any Indian language. Classics including children's literature were translated by ''Grantha Mandir Publishers'' under their "Vishwa Sahitya Granthamala" (''World Literature Series'') initiative, including ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' translated by Subhendu Mohan Srichandan Singh as ''Vichitra Deshare Alice'' (ବିଚିତ୍ର ଦେଶରେ ଆଲିସ୍ ).


Translation of Odia works into world languages

Translation of Odia literature into other world languages is mostly into English. The most well known translations are Fakir Mohan's novels ''Six Acres and Half'' by Rabi Shankar Mishra, ''Lachhama'' by Chandan Das and ''The Penance'' by
Snehaprava Das Snehaprava Das (born 10 October 1955) is an Indian writer and translator in the Odia language. She is a pioneer translator of several classic works from the Odia language into English. She has also translated several world classics into the Odia lan ...
. Madhusudan Pati has translated
Gangadhar Meher Swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher () was a renowned Odia poet of the 19th century. Though poor in wealth and education, he remained one of the most prolific and original contributor to Odia literature. Childhood Gangadhara was born in 1862 on the ...
's ''Tapaswini'' and ''Pranaya Ballari'' into English. Other notable translations include ''Basanti'' and ''Greatest Odia Stories'' by
Paul St. Pierre Paul St. Pierre (October 14, 1923 – July 27, 2014) was a journalist and author in British Columbia, Canada. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Coast Chilcotin from 1968-1972. He was defeated in the 1972 election by New Demo ...
,
Gopinath Mohanty Gopinath Mohanty (1914–1991), winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 – for his novel, ''Amrutara Santana'' – was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prak ...
's ''Paraja'' by Bikram Das, Spark of Light by
Valerie Henitiuk Valerie Henitiuk (born 1963 in Manning, Alberta) is a scholar researching aspects of the intersection of translation studies, world literature, Inuit literature, Japanese literature, and women's writing. She is a Canadian citizen, recently retired a ...
, and ''Kalahandi'' by
Tapan Kumar Pradhan Tapan Kumar Pradhan (born 1972) is an Indian poet, writer and translator from Odisha. He is best known for his poem collection "Kalahandi" which was awarded second place in Sahitya Akademi's Golden Jubilee ''Indian Literature'' Translation Prize ...
.


Odia in United States of America

An initiative, Pratishruti, was started to connect literary minded people in North America with their Indian peers. The goal is to expose Indian-Americans to the best writings of Odia writers as well as to cultivate new Odia writers in America. Black Eagle Books, a non-profit publishing initiative was started in April 2019 to propagate Odia literature globally through publication and translation projects. To encourage new writers, Black Eagle Books started "Black Eagle Books First Book Award". The award for 2019 was given to Niharika Mallick for her translation anthology of contemporary Hindi short stories in Odia, ''Adhunika Hindi Galpamala''.


See also


References


Bibliography

* Neukom, Lukas and Manideepa Patnaik. 2003. ''A grammar of Oriya''. (Arbeiten des Seminars für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft; 17). Zürich: Seminar für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Zürich. * Mansingha, Mayadhar (1962) ''History of Oriya literature'' Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi * Sahoo, Krushna Charan (2004) ''Oriya Lekhaka Paricaya'' Orissa Sahitya Academy, Bhubaneswar, , * Myers, Carol Fairbanks (1976) ''Women in Literature: Criticism of the Seventies'' Scarecrow Press, Inc. Metuchen,
"The History of Orissa: An Introduction"Pages from the history of India and the sub-continent:SOUTH ASIAN HISTORY
* Sahoo, Dr. Basanta Kishore Sahoo (1995) Who's who in Oriya Children's – Literature, Vol. I&II Mayur Publication and RIOCL,


Further reading

* Ghosh, A. (2003). ''An ethnolinguistic profile of Eastern India: a case of South Orissa''. Burdwan: Dept. of Bengali (D.S.A.), University of Burdwan. * Masica, Colin (1991). ''The Indo-Aryan Languages''. Cambridge Language Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. *Mohanty, Prasanna Kumar (2007). ''The History of: History of Oriya Literature'' (Oriya Sahityara Adya Aitihasika Gana).


External links






Free/Open Source Oriya Computing
Rebati project {{DEFAULTSORT:Odia Literature Odia language Literature by language Indian literature Indian literature by language