Bhadrak, February 14: The third edition of Salandi Sahitya Sangam, the largest literary festival of North-East Odisha, was inaugurated today at Sangam Convention on the Bhadrak Bypass. The festival is being organized by the Bhubaneswar-based publishing house Timepass for the past three years in Bhadrak.
The inaugural session was graced by Bhadrak District Collector Dillip Routaray as the chief guest. Eminent storyteller Ajay Swain attended as the keynote speaker. The session was presided over by Sangam President Pabitra Panigrahi, with Director Saroj Bal and host Bijay Malla also present.
On the occasion, a booklet prepared by Pabitra Panigrahi and published by Timepass was released, highlighting the demand for GI tag recognition for the famous Palua Ladu of Bhadrak. Copies of the booklet along with Palua Ladu were distributed among the guests. The District Collector appreciated the efforts of the organizers and lauded such initiatives.
A book titled “Jaha Kehi Kahantini” authored by columnist and Managing Editor Soumyashree Panigrahi was also unveiled during the ceremony. In his welcome address, Pabitra Panigrahi spoke about the cultural richness of Bhadrak and its iconic sweet, while Director Saroj Bal emphasized preserving the district’s fading Matighoda (clay horse) tradition. Mihir Kumar Sahu engaged in a creative interaction with the District Collector on stage.
Awards and Recognitions
Eminent playwright Lala Biren Ray received the Banshiballabh Goswami Natak Award, while translator Pradeep Kumar Ray was honored with the Lakshmi Narayan Mohanty Translation Award. Both awardees were presented with a shawl, memento, and a cash prize of ₹10,000 each.
The Sahitya Sakha Samman was conferred upon noted artist Chudamani Das, social worker Ajay Nayak, founder of Pakshighara Prakashani Banoj Tripathy, and storyteller Suresh Nayak. The previous year’s essay award prize money and citation were presented to litterateur Bibudh Ranjan.
Film Screenings and Literary Sessions
In the forenoon session, short films “Ghungur” directed by Antaryami Mishra and “Budhimaa Ra Hata” directed by Arjun Samantaray were screened, followed by discussions with the directors and artists.
Post-lunch, a panel discussion titled “Prema Kabita Charcha” (Discussion on Love Poetry) was conducted under the moderation of poet Chittaranjan Nayak, featuring poets Sanjit Bal, Suresh Nayak, Pragyashree Rath, and Surendra Panigrahi.
Under the coordination of Pratibha Khilar, a storytelling session saw guest writers Biplab Pati, Lopamudra Makeup, and Kailash Behera present their stories. A theatrical adaptation of Gourahari Das’s story “Chitra Pratima” was performed by writer, singer, and organizer Mamata Tripathy.
Discussions, Poetry Recitation, and Exhibition
In the afternoon, a discussion titled “Literature in Textbooks” was moderated by Soumyashree Panigrahi, featuring poet and professor Kishore Panigrahi, administrative officer Samarendra Bhutia, and Deepak Rout, Director of Kalinga IAS.
A poetry recitation session moderated by Prabins Kumar Kabi featured readings by poets Swayamprava Rath, Bismaya Bihari Sahu, Niranjan Barik, Amulya Senapati, Subrata Mishra, Ritanjali Maharana, and Umakanta Rout.
An attractive wooden sculpture exhibition by contemporary artist Birendra Pani, courtesy of Narayan Chandra Kala Mandir founded by the late Prahlad Pani, added artistic vibrance to the festival.
In the evening, the premiere show of the film “Kanda Mastre” directed by Biswajit Panda and written by Zakir Khan was held in the presence of the film’s actors and actresses.
The festival received active support from Bichitrananda Jena, Sangram Keshari Senapati, Pritipadma Das, Tilottama Bal, Samas Bal, Anshuman Panda, and several others.
