About

The Man Behind the Name

1 2 3 5

MANOJ DAS, a creative writer on whom the Sahitya Akademi (the National Academy of Letters) has bestowed its highest honour, the Fellowship, was a youth leader with radical views in his college days, playing an active role in the Afro- Asian Students’ Conference at Bandung, Indonesia, in 1956.

His deeper quest, however, led him to mysticism and he has been an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry, since 1963 where he teaches English Literature and the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. A bilingual writer with almost an equal number of books in Odia and English, he has been translated into several major languages of India as well as of the world.

In 1971, his research in the archives of London and Edinburgh brought to light some of the little-known facts of India’s freedom struggle in the first decade of the Twentieth century led by Sri Aurobindo for which he received the Fist Sri Aurobindo Puraskar ( Kolkata).Other awards he has received for his creative writing include the Sahitya Akademi Award(1972), the Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award( twice), the Sarala Award, the Sahitya Bharati Award, the BAPASI ( The Book-sellers and Publishers Association of South India) Award as the best writer in English in South India for the year 1998, Rotary’s ‘ For the Sake of Honors’, the President’s Padma Award(2001) and India’s premier award for literature, the Saraswati Samman as well as ‘Utkal Ratna’ from Odisha’s oldest literary institution the Utkal Sahitya samaj. While the Berhampur University honoured him with the status of honorary Professor Emeritus, he received the D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) from five universities: the Utkal University of Culture (2004), the Utkal University (2006), the Fakir Mohan University (2007), the North Orissa University (2011) and the Ravenshaw University (2011).

At different times he contributed regular personal columns to India’s leading English newspapers, The Thought, The Times of India, The Hindustan Times and The Hindu and major Odia dailies. He edited a prestigious monthly, The Heritage, for five years (1985-1989).

During 1981-1985, he was an author-consultant to the Ministry of Education, Government of the Republic of Singapore, visiting the island nation twice a year for taking classes of a hundred teachers. He was the leader of the Indian delegation of writers to China (1999).


ମନୋଜ ଦାସ : ଏକ ଅନନ୍ୟ ପ୍ରତିଭା

ସ୍ଥିତପ୍ରଜ୍ଞ ସାଧକଟିଏ ସେ୤ ଆତ୍ମସ୍ତୁତିର ଆବିଳତାରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ୤ ପ୍ରାଣଖୋଲା ହସ ଝଟକୁଥିବା ମୁହଁ – ଛାତିଭର୍ତ୍ତି ଉଛୁଳୁମୁଛୁଳୁ ସ୍ନେହ୤ ପ୍ରଜ୍ଞା ଓ ପ୍ରଶାନ୍ତିର ପୁଣ୍ୟଭୂମି ପଣ୍ଡିଚେରୀ ସମ୍ପ୍ରତି ତାଙ୍କର ନିବାସସ୍ଥଳୀ୤ ସେ ହେଉଛନ୍ତି ସ୍ବାଧୀନତା ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ କଥା ସାହିତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରଥିତଯଶା କଥାକାର, ପ୍ରାଚୀନ କଥା ପରମ୍ପରାର ନବୀନତମ ଉଦ୍‌ଗାତା, ଭାରତୀୟ ସଂସ୍କୃତି ତଥା ଜୀବନ ଚଳଣିର ବିଶ୍ବସ୍ତ ରୂପକାର, ସାହିତ୍ୟ ସାଧକ ମନୋଜ ଦାସ୤
କଥା ସାହିତ୍ୟରେ ଏକ ରସନିପୁଣ ଶୈଳୀ ଓ ଭାବଗର୍ଭକ ଆବେଦନ, ପ୍ରବନ୍ଧ ରଚନାରେ ନିଜର ସ୍ବତନ୍ତ୍ର ବିଶ୍ଳେଷଣ ଓ ବକ୍ତବ୍ୟ, କବିତା ସୃଜନରେ ଗଭୀର ଆତ୍ମିକ ଅନ୍ବେଷାବୋଧ ଓ ଛନ୍ଦ ବିଳାସ, ଉପନ୍ୟାସରେ ସଚରାଚର ଅନାଲୋଚିତ ବହୁ ଦିଗନ୍ତ ଓ ପରିଧିର ରୂପାୟନ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରିଛି ଏକ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଶୀଳ ପାଠକଗୋଷ୍ଠୀ୤
ଗଳ୍ପର କଳା କାରିଗରି ଓ ପରମ୍ପରା ସଂପ୍ରୀତି ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ତାଙ୍କୁ ବହୁ ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ସମାଲୋଚକ ବିଶ୍ବ ସାହିତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରାଚୀନ ଓ ଆଧୁନିକ କାଳର କଥାଶିଳ୍ପୀ ଇସପ୍, ଚେକୋଭ୍, ମୋପାସାଁ, କିପଲିଙ୍ଗ୍, ଓ’ ହେନେରୀ, ସୁଇଫଟ୍, ଅରୱେଲ୍, ସାକି, ଆର. କେ. ନାରାୟଣ, ମୁଲକରାଜ୍ ଆନନ୍ଦ ଆଦିଙ୍କ ସହ ତୁଳନା କରିଥାନ୍ତି୤ ତାଙ୍କ ସୃଷ୍ଟି ଶିଳ୍ପରେ ସର୍ବତ୍ର ପରିଲକ୍ଷିତ ହୁଏ ସଂସ୍କାରକର ଦୃଷ୍ଟିଭଙ୍ଗୀ, ଐତିହାସିକର ଅନ୍ତର୍ଦୃଷ୍ଟି, ପରିବ୍ରାଜକୀୟ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟବେକ୍ଷଣ, ଦାର୍ଶନିକ ଅବବୋଧ, ଭାରତବର୍ଷ ତଥା ବିପୁଳ ବିଶ୍ବର ଅନ୍ତରାତ୍ମାକୁ ଛୁଇଁବାର ସ୍ପର୍ଦ୍ଧା ଓ ଆତ୍ମୀୟତାବୋଧ, ସର୍ବୋପରି ସତ୍ୟ ଓ ଶାଶ୍ବତ ଅନ୍ବେଷଣର ବିହ୍ବଳ ଆକୁଳତା୤ ଦୀର୍ଘ ଅର୍ଦ୍ଧଶତାବ୍ଦୀରୁ ଉର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ବକାଳ ନିରବଚ୍ଛିନ୍ନ ଭାବରେ ଲେଖନୀ ଚାଳନା ପୂର୍ବକ ଅଜସ୍ର ଗଳ୍ପ, କବିତା, ରମ୍ୟ ରଚନା, ପ୍ରବନ୍ଧ, ଭ୍ରମଣ କାହାଣୀ ତଥା କିଶୋର-ସାହିତ୍ୟ ସୃଷ୍ଟିକରି ଉତ୍କଳବାଣୀ ମନ୍ଦିରକୁ ସୁସମୃଦ୍ଧ କରିବା ସଙ୍ଗେ ସଙ୍ଗେ ଏକ ଦ୍ବିଭାଷିକ ଲେଖକ ଭାବେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ସାହିତ୍ୟକୁ କେବଳ ଜାତୀୟ ସ୍ତରରେ ନୁହେଁ ଆନ୍ତର୍ଜାତୀୟ ସ୍ତରରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ବେଶ୍ ପରିଚିତ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଶଂସିତ କରାଇବାରେ ପ୍ରମୁଖ ଭୂମିକା ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିଚାଲିଛନ୍ତି ପ୍ରଜ୍ଞା ପୁରୁଷ ମନୋଜ ଦାସ୤
About Manoj Das

For thousands of men, women and children of the past two or three generations, Manoj Das has been the very synonym of light and delight, whose writings in Odia and English inspire in his countless readers faith in the purpose of life and also open up concealed horizons of confidence and compassion in humanity a dire need today.