Know more about a great odia poet Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra

Great odia poet Mr. Sitakant Mahapatra

Sitakant Mahapatra was born on September 17, 1937 at Mahanga, Odisha. He was a multi-talented personality who was eminent to propose in both Odia as well as English. He also holds many privileges as he was the first Odian to top the IAS exam and also the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi. Sitakant Mahapatra is an noble administrator of Odisha and he rendered his service to the state Odisha as an Educationalist, as a professor in Utkal university and as a IAS officer in the state. He is living eminent personality of Odisha and he contributed many services to the Odia language and literature as a poet. He has helped to many poor family of Odisha to improve their status. He has been attracted by all kind of people of Odisha. The various awards and achievements won by him shows his talent and service to the state Odisha and our country. The career and awards of Sitakant Mahapatra are listed below.

Early life and Education of Sitakant Mahapatra

He started his schooling on Korua government high school. He showed a lot of interest towards his studies and he learned the Bhagwad Gita in a traditional household which was translated in Odia. Then, after his schooling has got over he joined in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and then affiliated with Utkal University where he got his B.A degree in 1957. In 1959 he got his Master Degree in Political Science at Allahabad University. Then he started to move as the editor in University journal. After he was experienced in editing he started writing poems in his native language, Odiya. The Colombo Plan Fellowship guided him to do Dip. Overseas Development Studies in 1969 at The Cambridge University. He wrote many education books for the benefit the school and college children of Odisha.

Career of Sitakant Mahapatra

He joined in teaching as a Post-Graduate in Utkal University. Then he got the Indian Administrative Service Officer post. Apart from this he was also the Ministry of Culture in India, President of UNESCO’s World Decade for Cultural Development from 1994 to 1996. As he had a lot of experience in various fields he was also the Senior Fellow of many Universities. Currently, he is the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi.

Contribution and Awards of Sitakant Mahapatra

He published his first collection of poetry, Dipti O Dyuti in 1963. He won the Sahitya Academy Award for his second anthology Asthapadi in 1963. His third anthology was the most celebrated one, “Sara Akash” which also got him the Sahitya Akademi Award given by Sahitya Academy in 1971. Since then he had published more than 350 poems in Odia on literary criticism and culture.

Awards and achievements of Sitakant Mahapatra

As a poet Sitakant Mahapatra got various awards for his poems and contribution in his native language , Odia. They are as follows:

• The Jnanpith Award in 1993
• Sarala Award in 1985
• Orissa Sahitya Academy Award in 1971 and also in 1984
• Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974
• Award of the Highest Honour by Soka University at Tokyo, Japan in 2001
• Padma Bhushan Award in 2002
• Padma Vibhushan Award
• Nominated as Fellow of Sahitya Acadamy along with Malayalam writer Mr M T Vasudevan Nayar. - 2013