Bhubaneswar: Glowing tributes were paid to the memory of eminent poet and administrator Padmabhushan Ramakant Rath, who passed away yesterday, at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University here on Monday.
A large number of poets, writers and critics assembled at a condolence meeting organised by the SOA Centre for Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN) to pay tributes to the poet who had created a unique space for himself in the country’s literary firmament.
Prof. Gayatribala Panda, Head of PPRACHIN, said that late Rath had provided a new direction to Odia poetry while ‘Sri Radha’, regarded as a modern classic, was his unique creation.
Mr. Ashwini Kumar Mishra, poet and former Secretary of Odisha Sahitya Akademi, said that late Rath’s style was so unique that it made him stand apart from other litterateurs.
Mr. Ashutosh Parida, poet, said that late Rath was known for his keen sense of observation and clarity of vision. “Love and death were two of his main themes both of which had a ring of mystery around them,” he said.
Another poet, Ms. Aparna Mohanty narrated her personal experiences with late Rath and his family.
Writer Dr. Asit Mohanty narrated the humorous aspects and dwelt on the philosophy of life of late Rath while Mr. Khirod Parida described him as ‘a poet with empathy’.
Late Rath had been honoured with the ‘SOA Literary Award’ at the second SOA Literary Festival on November 26, 2023.
The gathering included Mr. Santosh Kumar Rath, Mr. Phanindra Bhushan Nanda, Mr. Gouranga Charan Dash, Mr. Subhas Satpathy, Mr. Pradipta Kumar Panda, Mr. Banoj Tripathy and Mr. Mihir Kumar Sahu.