Bhubaneswar, Dec. 27: Well known Odia poet, fiction writer and critic Dr. Gayatribala Panda, who has been nominated for the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi award 2022 for her book ‘Dayanadi’, was on Tuesday felicitated by the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University for her literary achievement.
Dr. Panda, who heads the SOA Centre of Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN), the centre dedicated to work for preservation and restoration of the country’s rich heritage and culture, was presented with a shawl and memento at a function held in the university.
The Chancellor of SOA, Prof. D.P. Ray, felicitated the poet while describing her achievement as a matter of pride for the university. “It is a feather in SOA’s cap and has brought laurels for the institution,” he said.
Replying to the felicitation, Dr. Panda said she greatly valued the blessings of the senior functionaries of the university. “I am greatly privileged to be part of SOA and have learnt a lot from its leadership,” she said.
Stating that she had started writing from a very young age, Dr. Panda said she had won her first literary award at the age of 12 years. She won the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Yuva Purashkar in Odia for her collection of poems titled ‘Gaan’ in 2011.
‘Dayanadi’ is a collection of poems depicting the historic ‘Kalinga War’ said to have been fought on the banks of the river Daya flowing near Bhubaneswar city. It dwelt on the horrors of war and the conversion of emperor Ashok from ‘Chandashoka’ to ‘Dharmashoka’.
Congratulating Dr. Panda on her award, the SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra described it as a creditable achievement. “We are happy and congratulate her on winning this laurel,” he said.
Those who were present at the function, among others, included Prof. Bibhuti Bhushan Pradhan, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Registrar of SOA, Prof. Manas Kumar Mallick, Director, Prof. Manjula Das, Controller of Examination, Prof. Bijay Kumar Sahu, Dean of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Prof. Anup Kumar Samantaray, Dean, Institute of Business and Computer Studies, Prof. Neeta Mohanty, Dean of Institute of Dental Sciences, Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare) and Mr. Deba Prasad Dash, Director, Corporate Relations.