Bhubaneswar: The most renowned modernist poet in Odia literature and Padma Bhushan recipient, Ramakanta Rath, passed away on Sunday. He was 90 years old.
Rath breathed his last early this morning at his residence in Kharavela Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
Born on December 13, 1934, in Cuttack, Ramakanta Rath completed his master’s degree in English from Ravenshaw University before joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1957.
He retired as the Chief Secretary of Odisha after holding several key positions in the Central Government, including Secretary to the Government of India.
Rath’s illustrious career was marked by numerous accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, the Saraswati Samman in 1992, the Bishuva Samman in 1990, and the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2006.
In addition to his literary achievements, Rath served as the Vice President of the Sahitya Akademi of India from 1993 to 1998 and as its President from 1998 to 2003, based in New Delhi.
In February 2009, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship by the Central Sahitya Akademi, becoming the fifth Odia writer to receive this prestigious recognition.
Ramakanta Rath’s poetic works, celebrated for their depth and insight, include iconic poems such as “Sri Radha,” exploring the ever-present theme of death-consciousness, “Saptama Ritu” (The Seventh Season), “Kete Dinara” (Of a Long Long Time), 1962, “Aneka Kothari” (Many Rooms), 1967, “Sandigdha Mrigaya” (Suspicious Hunting), 1971, and “Sachitra Andhara” (Picturesque Darkness), 1982, among many others.
His passing has cast a deep shadow of mourning over the literary world, marking the end of an era in Odia literature.
