Utkal Sahitya Samaj (Utkal Literary Society) is a literary organization located in Cuttack, Odisha, India, founded in 1903. The organization is aimed to the debate on Odia literature and to develop people's interest in Odia language.
Historian Prabhat Mukherjee remarks that the establishment of the Utkal Sahitya Samaj "marked the renaissance in Oriya literature". [1]
Utkal Sahitya Samaj was established from another organization named Alochana Sabha in May 1903. The main aim of the establishment of Utkal Sahitya Samaj was to arrange debate on Oriya literature and to develop people's interest in Oriya language. [2] Some of its founding members were Madhusudan Rao, Radhanath Ray, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gopal Chandra Praharaj, and Mrutunjay Rath. [3] Radhanath Ray was appointed as its first president. [2]
Utkal Sahitya Samaj gives annual award named 'Utkal Ratna' to the author of significant work published in Odia language. [4]
Odia is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also spoken in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Odia is one of the many official languages of India; it is the official language of Odisha and the second official language of Jharkhand. The language is also spoken by a sizeable population of at least 1 million people in Chhattisgarh.
Odia literature is the literature written in the Odia language and predominantly originates in the Indian state of Odisha. The language is also spoken by minority populations of the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The region has been known at different stages of history as Kalinga, Udra, Utkala or Hirakhanda. Odisha was a vast empire in ancient and medieval times, extending from the Ganges in the north to the Godavari in the south. During British rule, however, Odisha lost its political identity and formed parts of the Bengal and Madras Presidencies. The present state of Odisha was formed in 1936. The modern Odia language is formed mostly from Tadbhava words with significant Sanskrit (Tatsama) influences, along with Desaja words, and the rest coming from loanwords from English, Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu), Persian, or Arabic origins. The earliest written texts in the language are about a thousand years old. The earliest Odia newspaper was Utkala Deepika, first published on 4 August 1866.
Radhanath Ray was an Odia writer of initial modernity era in Odia poetry during the later part of nineteenth century. He was born in a Zamindar family in Baleshwar, now in Odisha, and is honoured in Odia literature with the title Kabibara. In his early life, he composed in both Odia and Bengali languages, but later he shifted his writings in Odia only. He was born on 28 September 1848, at Kedarpur village in Baleswar district, Odisha. He has contributed verses and poetry for Odia literature in the nineteenth century.
Gopabandhu Das (1877–1928), popularly known as Utkalamani, was a social worker, reformer, political activist, journalist, poet and essayist.
Rebati, is a short story by Fakir Mohan Senapati, published in 1898. It is considered first ever short story published in Odia language.
Chha Maana Atha Guntha is a 19th-century Indian novel in Odia language by Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843–1918), published in an English language translation by the University of California Press. Written long before the October Revolution in Russia, the book is the first Indian novel to deal with the exploitation of landless peasants by a feudal Lord in British India. Its author is known as the "Father of Modern Oriya Literature".
Gopinath Mohanty (1914–1991), winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 - for his novel, Amrutara Santana - was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prakash Mohanty, Professor of English, Cornell University says: "In my opinion, Gopinath Mohanty is the most important Indian novelist in the second half of the twentieth century."
Madhusudan Rao was an Odia poet and writer from India. He was known as Bhaktakabi.
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.
Gopala Chandra Praharaj was a writer and linguist in the Odia language, well known as the compiler of the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha. He also contributed significantly to Odia literature by his works in prose. A lawyer by profession, Praharaj wrote several satirical and analytical essays, in magazines such as Utkal Sahitya, Rasachakra, Nababharata, and Satya Samachar, on the social, political and cultural issues of contemporary Odisha (Odisha) during early 20th century.
Dr. Radhanath Rath was born on 6 December 1896, in a village named "Radhanathpur Shashan" of Aathgarh. He started his education in the Jubilee School of Balasore where his uncle Lokanath Mohapatra was the Sanskrit teacher. He was matriculated in 1916 from Ravenshaw Collegiate School of Cuttack.
Gourishankar Ray, better known as Karmaveer Gourishankar, a prominent figure amongst the makers of Modern Orissa (Odisha) as well as the savior of Odia (Oriya) language and literature, who led the Save Oriya Movement during the late nineteenth century working relentlessly for the protection and preservation of the Odia language. He was a Bengali from East Bengal from a Zamindar family at a time when an anti Oriya movement rocked the province to replace it by Bengali in the coastal, Hindi in the western and Telegu in the southern Orissa which ultimately was thwarted and Oriya was given its due place.
Dr. Nikhilanand Panigrahy is an Indian popular Science writer and columnist from Odisha, who popularized science in the Odia language. He has been contributing regularly to a variety of prominent Oriya news papers and magazines since 1973.
Satyanarayana Rajguru was an Indian litterateur, epigraphist and historian. He was a curator and epigraphist at the Odisha State Museum and was a recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Bharati Bhushan award, Ganjam Sahitya Sammilani award, Odisha Sahitya Academy Award and Sarala Sanman. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri in 1974.
Natabar Samantaray was an Odia writer and literary critic. Some of his known literary historical works are Odia Sahityara Itihasa (1803-1920), Adhunika Odia Sahityara Bhittibhumi and Vyasakabi Fakirmohan. His critical review included works of many noted Odia authors like Fakir Mohan Senapati and Radhanath Ray. His historical research includes all of the major Odia writings published during 1803 until 1920 which accentuate the British Raj and its impact in coastal Odisha, and a critical analysis of the modern Odia literature.
Kanhu Charan Mohanty was an Indian Odia language novelist who has authored fifty-six novels in a career spanning over six decades from 1930 to 1985. He is considered "one of the most popular and celebrated novelists of Odisa". Mohanty was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958 for his novel, Kaa, published in 1956, and was one of the fellows of the Sahitya Akademi. Mohanty died on 6 April 1994 at the age of 87.
Reba Ray was an Indian Odia poet educationist and administrator. Best known as one of the earliest Odia women writers, she was also founder of Model Girls' School, Cuttack. Her short story Sanyasi is considered earliest modern Odia short story by a woman writer. She was niece of renowned Odia poet Madhusudan Rao.
Aswini Kumar Ghose was an Indian dramatist in Odia language from Odisha state. He is know in Odia literature for his historical plays based on various Indian historical personalities such as Kalapahad and Tipu Sultan.
Manorama Mohapatra was an Indian writer, poet, and editor, working primarily in the Odia language. She wrote forty books consisting of novels and poetry, and edited an Odia newspaper, The Samaj. She was the recipient of several literary awards, including Odisha state's highest literary honor, the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984. She was the first woman to be elected president of the Odisha State Sahitya Akademi, a literary organization for the state of Odisha.