“A poet preserves intellectual reflections for society,” said the guest
* Cover Poetry Festival organised for Prashant Das’s poetry book Prachchhda Kabita
Balasore, 23/11 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): A unique event titled Prachchhda Kabita Parba was held this forenoon at the Aatithya Conference Hall to celebrate poet Prashant Das’s new poetry book Prachchhda Kabita, a work that brings a distinct style to the world of Odia poetry.
The festival was inaugurated by Dr. Himansu Panda, Associate Director, PXE – an avid reader and noted figure. In his address, he observed that a poet reads and rewrites his own poems many times, and it is poets who preserve intellectual insights for human society. He added that Prachchhda Kabita introduces a fresh message to the field of publication. Guest Santosh Das also spoke, saying that writers today are regarded as healers of society.
Poet and storyteller Gangadhar Biswal shared his views, saying that Prashant’s Prachchhda Kabita is a graceful reflection of the poet’s imagination and inner vision. A poet, he said, is always a dreamer. Reader Shashiranjan Mallik remarked that readers are the true and impartial judges of a poet’s creations, and he felt that the poems in this collection would certainly touch them.
In his author’s note, poet Prashant Das explained that the published books and covers of fellow writers embraced him with affection, inspiring him to write and publish Prachchhda Kabita. He offered the book as a gift to the readers.
At the event, cover artist Kesu Das—who designed the covers of Prashant’s first poetry book Jari Gotaiba Jhia and his short story collection Nila Manisha—was honoured with the Prachchhda Kabita Samman. Accepting the felicitation, he praised the poet for this innovative creation.
The poems included in Prachchhda Kabita have been written by Prashant Das on the published books and covers of the following writers: Deepti Das, Gangadhar Biswal, Krushna Kumar Mohanty, Srideb, Dr. Radharanjan Pattanaik, Uday Narayan Das, Sairindhree Sahu, Nibaran Jena, Sitansu Lenka, Abhay Das, Ranjan Baug, Dr. Debasis Patra, Utpal Mohanty, Jyotsna Biswal, Satya Sahu, Shubhendu Das, Khirod Bihari Biswal, Dr. Santosh Nayak, Sanjay Panda, Priyanka Priyadarshani Das and Prasant Das himself.
Earlier, hosts Biplab Das Mahapatra and Rajesh Giri opened the proceedings, while poet Madhusudan Mishra proposed the vote of thanks. Dr. Jagannath Khatua, an enthusiastic reader of the poems, also shared his reflections.
The event ended in a poetic atmosphere, with the attending writers reading the poems written on their respective books. Students from various colleges and literature enthusiasts joined in good numbers and made the festival a success.
