Bhubaneswar: Noted Odia poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath passed away at his residence in Kharvel Nagar area in Bhubaneswar in the early hours of Sunday. He was 91.
According to family members, he had been unwell for the past 6 months and his condition deteriorated in the last one month. He breathed his last at 4.30 am. He will be cremated at Swargadwar in Puri on Monday.
Expressing grief over the demise of distinguished Odia poet, scholar and former President of Sahitya Akademi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that his last rites would be conducted with full state honours.
The CM described the Padma Bhushan awardee as one of the finest poets in Indian literature. “Rath’s timeless works, including ‘Saptama Ritu’, ‘Sriradha’, ‘Sachitra Andhara’, ‘Kete Dinara’, and ‘Duar Epatu’, have cemented his place in the literary world. Beyond his contributions to literature, Rath played a significant role in the state’s development, serving as Secretary in various departments and as the Chief Secretary of Odisha. His efforts to bring Odia literature to national and international recognition remain unparalleled,” Majhi said.
Rath, born on December 13, 1934, in Cuttack, has completed his master degree in English from the erstwhile Ravenshaw College and joined in Indian Administrative Service in 1957. His first anthology of poems ‘Kete Dinara’ was published in 1962. He has received Padma Bhushan award for his immense contribution to the field of literature. He has also received several literary awards like Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Bharati Samman, Kabir Samman and Bishuba Samman.
He received ‘Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman’ for the year 2018 for his contribution to Odia literature.
His magnum opus, ‘Sriradha’, won him the prestigious Saraswati Samman in 1992. It is acknowledged as a modern classic. His other literary works include ‘Kete Dinara’, ‘Sripalataka’, ‘Anek Kothari’, ‘Sandigdh Mrugaya’ ‘Saptama Rutu’, ‘Sachitra Andhaar’, ‘Simanta Basa’, ‘Pheri Chahinle’ and ‘Sabudina Sepakhe’.
His works have been translated into English and several Indian languages.