The Central Sahitya Akademi hosted two literary events in the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on Saturday that concluded on Sunday.
A symposium on eminent Odia writer Nirmala Devi, who is revered as a pioneering woman writer, was hosted on Saturday at the capital’s IDCOl Auditorium. With an invocation by legendary singer Pranab Patnaik who sang a poem penned by Nirmala Devi, eminent poet and former Sahitya Akademi president Ramakant Rath inaugurated the event while Jnanapith awardee poet Sitakant Mahapatra presided over the symposium.
Noted writer and orator Haraprasad Das delivered the keynote address. Among others, author and publisher Panchami Manoo Ukil, granddaughter of Nirmal Devi, Akademi Secretary K Sreenivasarao and Convener of the Akademi’s Odia Advisory Board Gourahari Das also addressed the meeting.
The speakers were unanimous in their views that a powerful writer like Nirmala Devi did not receive due attention and acknowledgement during her lifetime. There is the need for publication of her writings in translation in order to introduce the literary genius to the non-Odia readers, opined Sitakant Mahapatra.
Nirmala Devi Kabita Samagra, a book containing 300 selected poems of the writer, was released on the occasion. The book has been edited by poet and magazine editor Ratnamala Swain and published by the writer’s granddaughter Panchami, who was present.
The afternoon session had presentation of papers on the life and works of Nirmala Devi by Basanta Kumar Panda, Jayanti Rath, labanya Nayak and Ratnamala Swain while poet Phani Mohanty presided.
Similarly, at Cuttack, a two-day national seminar on “Nature and literature” kicked off at the Sarala Bhawan hosted by the Akademi in association with the well-known Sarala Sahitya Sansad which was inaugurated by Puducherry-based immensely popular internationally-acclaimed writer Manoj Das.
Nature was prominently portrayed in literature till the end of the 19th century, but it started disappearing in the next century, Gourahari Das observed. In his welcome address, Sahitya Akademi Secretary Sreenivasrao pointed out that nature was an integral part of ancient literature in India, China, Japan and Greece. The keynote address was delivered by Prof Babaji Charan Patnaik while Sarala Sahitya Sansad president Pravakar Swain presided.