Eighteenth Mahuri Mahotsav Held at Subarnapur: Guests Highlight Mahuri’s Indispensable Role in Literature

Balasore, January 4 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): Literature is the most effective medium for expressing the emotions of the human mind. Literary pursuit does not discriminate between happiness and sorrow, scarcity and hardship. In literature, emotion matters more than words, metre, or ornamentation. Capturing life-touching experiences on every page, Mahuri magazine has today carved out a distinct identity in the literary world. By embracing poets, writers, and litterateurs alike, Mahuri has emerged as a unique and remarkable presence in Odia literature. These views were expressed by speakers at the Eighteenth Mahuri Mahotsav held at Sanskruti Bhavan, Subarnapur.

Organised by Mahuri, the enduring voice of the Kalahandi poetry movement, the eighteenth annual celebration of the literary magazine was held at Subarnapur. The festival was presided over by Mahuri’s Editor-in-Chief Dr. Bhabanishankar Nial. The Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University, Professor Bidhubhusan Mishra, attended as the chief guest, while senior writer Professor Narayan Panda delivered the keynote address. Eminent guests included storyteller and Subarnapur District Collector Dr. Nruparaj Sahu and poet Dr. Pritidhara Samal. Editor and short-story writer Sukanta Sahu delivered the welcome address, and Sushil Kumar conducted the proceedings.

On the occasion, Dr. Pritidhara Samal was conferred with the Mahuri Samman–2024, while Dr. Nruparaj Sahu received the Mahuri Samman–2025.

The second session featured a state-level poetry recital. Presided over by Dr. Saurabh Ranjan Khamari, President of the Mahanadi Sahitya Sansad, the session was attended by retired professor Dr. Jyotiranjan Bahidar, Dr. Debashish Pandia, Principal of the Panchayat Samiti College, Ulunda, educationist and researcher Dr. Aniruddha Kurkuria, and academician Dr. Itishree Dash as guests. Poets Laxmi Narayan Sahu and Ranjita Panda coordinated the poetry recital, in which more than thirty poets from different parts of the state participated and recited their original poems.
The literary gathering was also attended by Additional District Magistrates Rajendra Majhi and Angelina Pradhan, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad Dr. Ashwini Meher, Sub-Collector Dr. Soumyarupa Rath, District Panchayat and Information & Public Relations Officer Arjun Majhi, District Culture Officer Jamuna Pradhan, Assistant Collector Satyabrata Sahu, along with other district-level officials, a large number of poets, writers, literature lovers, and representatives of the media.