Bhubaneswar: Odisha is mourning the death of noted Odia poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath, who breathed his last at his Kharvel Nagar residence in Bhubaneswar in the early hours on Sunday.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Rath will always be remembered for his contribution to the Indian administrative service and to the world of literature. He was the former chief secretary of Odisha. His works earned him national recognition, including the Saraswati Samman and Sahitya Akademi Award.
Rath, a Padma Bhushan awardee, is survived by three daughters and a son.
The legendary poet’s final rites will be performed at Swargadwara, Puri, on Monday with full state honours.
The Poet-Bureaucrat
Born on December 13, 1934, in Cuttack, Rath was born to Loknath Mohapatra and Prabati Devi. He, however, was raised by his maternal grandfather Biswanath Rath, a Sanskrit teacher at Ravenshaw Collegiate School, who adopted him since he had no son.
Rath completed his master degree in English from the erstwhile Ravenshaw College and joined Indian Administrative Service in 1957. He spent the initial service period in hilly and tribal belts of Kalahandi and Phulbani.
He began writing poems in his college days. Those along with others which he wrote while in the administrative service took the shape of the first anthology of poems ‘Kete Dinara’ (Of Many Bygone Days), and was published in 1962.
His other literary works include ‘Sripalataka’, ‘Anek Kothari’, ‘Sandigdh Mrugaya’ ‘Saptama Rutu’, ‘Sachitra Andhaar’, ‘Simanta Basa’, ‘Pheri Chahinle’ and ‘Sabudina Sepakhe’. These uniquely blended prose and lyricism. The 1977 collection Saptama Ritu is considered a classic in Odia literature and won him the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978.
His magnum opus, ‘Sriradha’, won him the prestigious Saraswati Samman in 1992. One of the finest long poems in Indian literature, it delves into the spiritual and emotional complexities of Radha’s devotion to Krishna, using them as metaphors for love and human consciousness.
Rath was honoured with Sarala Award in 1984, the Bishuva Samman in 1990, and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2009. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to literature, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2006. He received ‘Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman’ for the year 2018 for his contribution to Odia literature.
His works, known for their philosophical depth and modernist sensibilities, explored human emotions, existential dilemmas, and Odisha’s cultural ethos. His romanticism and death were siamese twins, one inseparable from the other. It was he who wrote: ‘What Shall I Wear on the Day of my Death’.
He believed that a poet should not claim that it was he who created the poem. Instead a poem is created by situations and circumstances, which are not under his control.
Rath served as secretary to the Government of India and as the chief secretary to the Government of Odisha before retiring in 1992. He later worked as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Guyana. Additionally, he served as vice-president of the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi and honorary chairman of the Odisha Maritime Academy.
Condolence Messages
ପଦ୍ମ ଭୂଷଣ ପୁରସ୍କାରପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ପୂର୍ବତନ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ଅଧିକାରୀ ତଥା ସାହିତ୍ୟିକ ରମାକାନ୍ତ ରଥଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ଭାରତୀୟ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ସେବା ସହ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଜଗତରେ ନିଜ ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ସେ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ହୋଇ ରହିବେ। ତାଙ୍କର ଶେଷକୃତ୍ୟ ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରୀୟ ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦାର ସହ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ହେବ। ସ୍ବର୍ଗତ ରଥଙ୍କ ଅମର ଆତ୍ମାର ସଦଗତି…
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) March 16, 2025
ପୂର୍ବତନ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ଅଧିକାରୀ ପଦ୍ମ ଭୂଷଣ ପୁରସ୍କାରପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ତଥା ସାହିତ୍ୟିକ ରମାକାନ୍ତ ରଥଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଗଭୀର ଭାବରେ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ଭାରତୀୟ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ସେବା ସହ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଜଗତରେ ଛାଡ଼ିଯାଇଥିବା ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ସେ ସଦାସର୍ବଦା ଆମ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ଙ୍କ ଗହଣରେ ଚିର ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ହୋଇ ରହିବେ। ତାଙ୍କର ଶେଷକୃତ୍ୟ ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରୀୟ…
— Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo (Modiji Ka Parivar) (@KVSinghDeo1) March 16, 2025
ପଦ୍ମ ଭୂଷଣ ପୁରସ୍କାରପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ପୂର୍ବତନ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ଅଧିକାରୀ ତଥା ସାହିତ୍ୟିକ ରମାକାନ୍ତ ରଥଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ।
ଭାରତୀୟ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ସେବା ସହ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଜଗତରେ ନିଜ ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ସେ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ହୋଇ ରହିବେ। ସ୍ବର୍ଗତ ରଥଙ୍କ ଅମର ଆତ୍ମାର ସଦଗତି ନିମନ୍ତେ ମହାପ୍ରଭୁ ଶ୍ରୀ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥଙ୍କ ନିକଟରେ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା… pic.twitter.com/XOOkCwAXRI
— Prithiviraj Harichandan (@PrithivirajBJP) March 16, 2025
Paid floral tributes to renowned poet Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath who passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, and prayers for eternal peace of the departed soul. pic.twitter.com/gct2f0ULUQ
— Sulochana Das (@MayorofBBSR) March 16, 2025
Deeply saddened by the passing of Padma Bhushan #RamakantaRath, a literary icon whose contributions to Odia and Indian literature remain unparalleled. His profound poetry and modernist vision have left an indelible mark, inspiring generations of writers and readers alike. Beyond…
— Dilip ray (@DilipRayOdisha) March 16, 2025
Deeply saddened by the passing away of eminent Odia poet, scholar and former President of Sahitya Akademi Ramakanta Rath.
His departure has left a void in Odia poet. His contributions to the field of literature will be long remembered.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his… pic.twitter.com/Kd6eT0evwi
— Manas Mangaraj (@manasrmangaraj) March 16, 2025
Deeply saddened by the passing away of Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath, a legend who enriched Odia literature with his profound poetry and philosophical depth.
His contributions to the field of literature will be long remembered.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.… pic.twitter.com/QFtJBrm7G4
— Bhrugu Baxipatra (@BhruguOdisha) March 16, 2025
End of an era! Today, Odisha bids farewell to a towering figure of modern Odia literature, former President of the Sahitya Akademi of India, and a distinguished civil servant—Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath—whose pen and public service enriched our lives beyond measure.
May his… pic.twitter.com/wyL2S7rzWf
— Navajyoti Patnaik (@NavjyotiPatnaik) March 16, 2025
It is sad to know that Sri Ramakanta Rath, distinguished Odia poet, scholar and former President of Sahitya Akademi, is no more. His poetry helped countless individuals to deeply introspect, make inquiries about life, death, existence beyond the material world and empowered many… pic.twitter.com/3JLZqD7zps
— K. Sreenivasarao (@ksraosahitya) March 16, 2025
Deeply saddened by the passing away of eminent Poet and Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath.
His works earned national recognition, including the Sahitya Akademi Award. His departure is a huge loss for Odia and Indian literature.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family. May his… pic.twitter.com/r5vBFAXlYe
— Upasna Mohapatra (@UpasnaMohapatra) March 16, 2025
The man who wrote ‘ What Shall I Wear on the Day of my Death’ , Ramakanta Rath passes away.
The literary giant of Odisha and one of the most towering figures in Odia literature is no more. I remember reading his book of poems ‘ Sri Radha’, with awe.As Dr Dilip Naik says it, “…
— Rupashree Nanda (@rupashreenanda) March 16, 2025
