Bhubaneswar: Notable fiction writer Sarojini Sahoo Wednesday received the 45th Sarala Puraskar for her novel ‘Asthira Pada’, instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), offered annually for the best literary achievement. Poet and writer Devdas Chhotray presented the award to Sahoo in a ceremony Thursday.
The award comprises a copper plaque and Rs 7 lakh. Sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo and playback singer Tansen Singh were also conferred with the ‘Ila-Bansidhar Panda Kala Samman’. Both the artistes received a citation plaque and Rs 2.5 lakh each. Presiding over the function, IMPaCT trustee Paramita Panda said, “A deserving writer or artistes should not turn away from creativity due to financial constraints. This is the underlying objective of this award.” The ‘primary recommendation’ is the foundation of this prestigious award in a three-tiered judging process. For the development and prosperity of Odia language and literature, Bansidhar Panda and Ila Panda introduced the ‘Sarala Puraskar’. Their vision and relentless efforts to recognise state’s art and literature have succeeded today, said the organisers.
On the occasion, Chhotray shared personal anecdotes, recalling how his father, play writer Gopal Chhotray received the Sarala Puraskar in 2000 but couldn’t attend the ceremony. He praised the humility of Ila Panda and Bansidhar Panda, who personally visited his home and presented the award to his father. “Most of the fiction readers throughout the world live outside of fiction. A writer is the only person who ably connects them by composing a story,” he said. Speaking at the ceremony, Sahoo said that after the announcement of the Sarala Puraskar, I felt connected to the rest of the world. “For the friends and relatives of my teenage years, I seemed to rise again. This is a strange life force. What a wonderful awakening from deep sleep,” she said. The event drew writers and literature enthusiasts from across the state. IMPaCT, founded in 1974 by Bansidhar Panda and his wife Ila Panda, has been instrumental in promoting Odia literature through the Sarala Puraskar, instituted in 1980, Ila-Bansidhar Panda Kala Samman, and Ekalabya Puraskar.