Jayanta Mahapatra

Jayanta Mahapatra (born on 22 October 1928) was one of the most distinguished poets of India, belonging to a prominent Odia Christian family from Cuttack, Odisha. He studied at Stewart School, Cuttack, and later completed his M.Sc. in Physics from Patna University, Bihar. In 1949, he began his career as a lecturer in physics and went on to teach at several reputed institutions in Odisha, including Gangadhar Meher University, BJB College, Fakir Mohan University, and Ravenshaw University.

Mahapatra started writing poetry in the late 1960s, and his works soon gained both national and international recognition. He was invited to participate in the International Writing Programme at Iowa, USA, which opened doors to global literary circles. His most significant achievement came when he became the first Indian poet writing in English to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award, which he won for his celebrated poetry collection Relationships.

A highly prolific poet, Mahapatra wrote extensively in both English and Odia. Some of his important works include Bali, Baya Raja, Smruti Pari Kichhiti, Bhor Motira Kanaphula, Random Descent, Life Signs, Temple, Burden of Waves and Fruit, Waiting, Hunger, Sunburst, and Noon. His poetry is marked by intense lyricism, deep introspection, and a strong connection with Odisha’s culture, traditions, and landscape.

Through his writings, Jayanta Mahapatra established himself as a pioneer of modern Indian English poetry and remains a towering figure in Indian literature.