Bhubaneswar: The prestigious Atibadi Jagannath Das Award-2019 was conferred on eminent writer Binapani Mohanty for her contribution to Odia literature on the occasion of Odisha Sahitya Akademi’s 63rd foundation day, Saturday.
Some of her best known stories are: Pata Dei, Khela Ghara, Naiku Rasta, Bastraharana, Andhakarara Chhai, Kasturi Mruga O Sabuja Aranya and Michhi Michhika.
Mohanty was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020. Many of her short stories have been translated into different languages such as English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu and Russian. She has also penned three novels – Sitara Sonita, Manaswini and Kunti, Kuntala, Shakuntala – and a one-act play entitled Kranti.
Eighty four-year-old Mohanty is a retired professor of Economics. She was awarded by Tourism; Odia Language, Literature & Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi at her residence. In his short speech, Panigrahi said, “Literature lovers and future writers should learn writing skills from Mohanty as she has taken the art of story writing to another level of supremacy.”
Interacting with Orissa POST, Mohanty said, “I’m overwhelmed as Odia Language, Literature & Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, principal secretary of the department Manoranjan Panigrahi and Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani have felicitated me with this huge award at my residence. I gladly accept this award and wish to continue my endeavour in the field of writing. I request the state government to provide facilities to the Utkal Lekhika Sangha which will inspire the members to produce amazing literary works in future.”
The director of Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Bijay Nayak, said, “Binapani Devi is the Patadei of Odia literature and she is not only popular in Odisha, but across the literary fraternity of India.”
On this occasion, 17 books from Odisha Sahitya Akademi and a tri-monthly magazine ‘Konark’ were unveiled.
Meanwhile, Governor Ganeshi Lal congratulated the Akademi for its relentless efforts to keep Odia literature high in the minds of the readers.