Bhubaneswar: Eminent Odia writer Padma Shri Manoj Das passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87. Das breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Puducherry.
Manoj Das, who was born February 27, 1934 at Sankhari village in Balasore district, was suffering from a prolonged disease.
A Tiger at Twilight, Cyclones 1987, Mystery of the Missing Cap, Myths, Legends and Concepts and Literary Antiquities of India are some of his notable works in English and Prabhanjana, Godhulira Bagha, Kanaka-Upatyakara Kahani, Amruta phala, and Sesha Tantrikara Sandhanare are some of his noted Odia work.
Manoj Das is perhaps the foremost bilingual Odia writer and a master of dramatic expression both in his English and Odia short stories and novels. He has been compared to Vishnu Sharma, in modern Odia literature for his magnificent style and efficient use of words and for the fact that, he is one of the best story-tellers in India at present times.
Over the years many research scholars have done their doctoral thesis on the works of Manoj Das, P. Raja being the first scholar to do so.
In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded with Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, Padma Bhusan in 2020, the third-highest Civilian Award in India for his contribution in the field of Literature & Education.
Kendra Sahitya Akademi has bestowed its highest award (also India’s highest literary award) i.e Sahitya Akademi Award Fellowship.
(With inputs from wikipedia.org)
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