Dr. Saileswar Nanda, Cuttack, 19 October 2024
Kalinga Bharati, one of the oldest Cultural Organizations of Odisha, was started at Cuttack in the year 1944 by Guru Bichhanda Charan Patnaik. The Organization started to popularise the traditional Odia Literature. Poets Like Upendra Bhanja, Baladev, Abhimanyu, Dinakrushna and many others, who were forgotten by modern Odia people, were discussed. The magnanimity of their creations were discussed at different literary forums vividly. Upendra Bhanja, in the Seventeenth Century, had tried to bring up Odia Poetry at par with Sanskrit Literature and added thirty thousand new words to Odia Literature. Gurudev declared Upendra Bhanja as “Kabi Samrat” – The emperor of the poetic world. Since then, Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Jayanti is being celebrated every year from 1944 till date. Eighty long years have passed in this revolution.
Based on the long-standing tradition of Odia language, the Govt. of India has accepted Odia as a Classical language. The beauty of the creative poetic works has been discussed and analysed by critics on different forums – specially in Bhanja Jayanti Celebrations. Bhanja Jayanti has been a celebration of Odia culture all these years. Besides the discussion of Bhanja Literature, folk culture like Gotipua dance, Pala, Daskatia, Kendera music and many other folk dances have been revived over the years at Bhanja Jayanti.
The founder, Gurudev Bichhanda Charan Patnaik, had selected efficient orators like Gauri Kumar Brahma, Hrudananda Ray, Rajat Kumar Kar, Kabi Prasad Mishra, Sarat Kumar Kar, Chandrasekhar Nanda and many others to act as lieutenants of the cultural army of Kalinga Bharati and drive the cultural revolution.
Despite many adversities, Kalinga Bharati has started Bhanja Mandap at Cuttack in 1971. The Bhanja Movement has come to a point of establishing a cultural university which will do research on our traditional literature and culture and keep Odia Literature at a higher pedestal always. This year, Kalinga Bharati is celebrating Bhanja Jayanti at Cuttack Bhanja Mandap, Mission Road from 20th to 25th October 2024 with eminent writers, critics, orators and artists participating, as in earlier years.
