Ganjam district is a district in the Indian state of Odisha. Ganjam's total area is 8,206 km² (3,168 mi²). The district headquarters is Chhatrapur. Ganjam is divided into three sub-divisions Chhatrapur, Berhampur, and Bhanjanagar. The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908 lists Ganjam, along with the Thanjavur and South Canara districts, as the three districts of the Madras Presidency where Brahmins were most numerous. As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Odisha.
Sachidananda Routray was an Indian poet, novelist and short-story writer who wrote in Odia. He received Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award of India, in 1986. He was popularly known as Biplabi KabiSachi Routray.
Bhubaneswar Behera was an engineer, writer and scholar from the Kalahandi district of Odisha.
Mrinal Chatterjee is an Indian academic and author. He heads the Indian Institute of Dhenkanal. He has authored five academic books on media studies in Odia, including History of Journalism in Odisha and Glossary of Terms for Media Persons. His has authored ten novels and seven short story collections in Odia, including Jagate Thiba Jate Dina published (2010), Kandhei (2013), Eka Sundar Chandini Ratire (2016), Yamraj Chutire (2015), Yamraj Number 5003 (2016), which is translated into Assamese, and a series of columns in Odia
Kanak Majari Sahoo is an Indian short story writer in Oriya language and a translator of Hindi and Bengali stories into Oriya. She currently resides in Bhubaneswar, and is a regular contributor to many Oriya journals and newspapers.
Gourahari Das is a creative writer, journalist and an academician.
Brajanath Ratha was an Indian poet who wrote in Odia. Brajanath Ratha is internationally recognised and is the recipient of many prestigious awards like the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award, Vishuba Award, Gokarnika Award, First Shudramuni Sahitya Award and Honoured by South Korea's Ambassador, from Global Cooperation Society International, Seol, Republic of Korea for Contribution in World welfare, Cooperation and Services.
Kamalakanta Jena is a popular science writer in Odia.
Rāmachandra Mishra, better known by his pen name Faturananda, was an Indian humorist and satirical writer in Odia. He was the founder of the Sarasa Sāhitya Samiti, a literary organisation. Mishra established "Kāntakabi Award" in the name of Laxmikanta Mohapatra. His early life was spent in struggling which is the core part of his autobiography Mo phutā dangāra kāhāni. Mishra preferred "Faturānanda" as a pen name in all his writings. Some of his popular writings include Nākatā Chitrakar (1953), Sāhi Mahābharat. His satirical writings in Odia were based on political reality and prevailing cynicism.
Pandit Krushna Chandra Kar was an Indian poet and literary critic who has written both in the Odia and English. He has authored books on Odia literature and inspired other writers like Bidyutprabha Devi and Chakhi Khuntia. He received a felicitation from the Odisha Sahitya Academy for his contribution to Odia literature in the year 1971 to 1972. He spent most of his life in Cuttack, Odisha.
Dr. Radhanath Rath was a newspaper editor, freedom fighter, social worker and politician from Odisha. He was the editor of The Samaja, one of the leading newspapers of Odisha.
Binod Kanungo (1912–1990) was an Odia author, freedom fighter, Gandhian, educator, social reformer and compiler of the Gyana Mandala, which is the greatest encyclopaedia in the Odia language. He also won the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award for his travelogue Runa Parishodha (1983). He was also a veteran freedom fighter and notable educationist. He was awarded with India's fourth highest civilian honour "Padmashree". He died on 22 June 1990.
Bhupen Mahapatra is an Odia novelist, columnist, and short story writer.
Keshab Chandra Dash, is a scholar and author from Odisha.
Subrat Kumar Prusty is an Indian Odia-language scholar, activist, social entrepreneur, literary critic and author. He is Member Secretary of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was instrumental in preparing the research documents, advocating the awarding of Classical Language status to Odia, forming Central Institute of Classical Odia, Odia University and implementation of the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954. He was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman – 2019 for Classical Odia.
Bijay Mishra was a dramatist, lyricist and screenwriter from India. He was also a mainstream script writer in Odia Cinema & TV Industry. He was a recipient of the State Sahitya Academy Award, Konark Samman (1994) as well as the Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award.
Tarun Kanti Mishra is an Indian Odia story writer. More than 15 of his books have been published. He got Central Sahitya Akademi Award, Odisha Sahitya Academy award and Sarala Award for his contribution in literature and was an IAS in profession and retired after being head of the administration department of Odisha. Then he also worked as Chief Information Commissioner of Odisha.
Hussain Rabi Gandhi was an Indian Odia writer of the late-twentieth century, a politician, a public intellectual and a cultural activist hailing from the Indian state of Odisha. Being a founder member of Biju Janata Dal, he served as the general secretary of the party from upon its formation in 1998 till 2005. In 1994 the title of Biplabi Loka Kabi was conferred upon him by the Mayor of Cuttack. He was also awarded with the title of Utkala Jyoti in 1996 by the then Deputy chief minister of Odisha, Basant Kumar Biswal on the behalf of Freedom Fighter's Organisation. Gandhi primarily wrote in Odia language and was bestowed with the Secular India Harmony Award in 1993 by the former President of India, Giani Zail Singh and with the Gangadhar Meher Kabita award in 2015 for his notable contributions to the field of Odia poetry. Hussain served as the President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi (2008–2010). He was famously known as the Gandhi of Korei and was regarded as a bridge between Western Odisha and Coastal Odisha. He also served as Lead Member of Smt. Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (SNSMT).
Dhaneswar Swain is an exponent and Guru of the Odissi Mardala, the traditional percussion instrument of Odissi music. He is known for his rhythmic compositions and fingering techniques, as well as his efforts to promote solo Mardala recitals and group presentations combining traditional percussive instruments from Odisha. He is the founder of Vadya Vani Gurukula, an institution for training and research in Odissi Mardala and other traditional percussion instruments of Odisha.
