Cuttack: The last rites of Jayanta Mahapatra, the noted Indo-Anglian poet from Odisha who breathed his last at SCB Medical College and Hospital last night, will be held at Khannagar cremation ground in the city at noon on Monday with full state honour.
The Padma awardee will be cremated in the electric crematorium and not buried as per his will titled ‘My last wishes’. “My body to be cremated in the electric crematorium at Khan Nagar, Cuttack, and not to be buried. It should be taken in a van or ambulance by a few close friends and relatives who would be present at that time. This should be done as early as possible after my death,” he said in his will.
He also mentioned that a plot should be given to one who served his family for 35 years. “That a plot of land measuring 20ft by 20ft at the north-west corner of our existing land be given to Smt. J. Sarojini, who has faithfully and tirelessly served us for the 35 years. This we (my late wife, Jyotsna Mahapatra, our son Mohan Mahapatra, and I) decided after careful consideration.”
Also Read: Poetry Is An Expression Of Life: Jayanta Mahapatra
His wife and son predeceased him, while his daughter-in-law and grand children live in Singapore.
He also wished that his letters, typescripts and incomplete manuscripts were to be burned after his death.
People have been visiting his residence at Tinikonia Bagicha, where his mortal remains have been kept, to pay their last tributes.
Mahapatra was admitted to SCB MCH on August 7 due to pneumonia. “He had fully recovered and was ready to be discharged. A book of his poems, Jhanjhi, was also unveiled in the hospital. However, he then suffered a stroke and became drowsy, following which he was shifted to the ICU and kept on a ventilator. He suffered a heart attack around 9 pm and breathed his last,” said Dr Dr Jayanta Kumar Panda, who was treating him.
Also Read: Odisha CM Declares State Funeral For Indo-Anglian Poet Jayanta Mahapatra
Mahapatra was born on October 22, 1928, into a prominent family in Cuttack. He received his early education from Stewart School here and completed MSc in Physics from Patna, Bihar. His career began as a lecturer in physics in 1949 and served at various government colleges in Odisha, including erstwhile Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur, BJB College, Bhubaneswar, Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, and Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. He retired from service as a Reader in Physics in 1986. He started his writing career in the late sixties.
The bilingual poet from Odisha is known for his collections like Waiting and A Rain of Rites which explore his memories, doubts and life experiences. He is the first Indian writer in English to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for his poem Relationship. In May 2019, he also became the first Indian English poet to become a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.
He was conferred with a Padma Shri in 2009 but returned the award in 2015 as a mark of protest against the “growing intolerance” in the country.
