Odia Literature And Popular Odia Literature Books

Odia literature is a kind of Indian text produced primarily in the Odia language and it has a history of originating primarily in the state of Odisha. The present Odia vocabulary or language is composed chiefly of Tadbhava terms containing Sanskrit (Tatsama) elements, as well as combinations of words as well as phrases from Desaja, English, Hindustani, which is mostly Hindi and Urdu. The language’s oldest written writings date back over a thousand years. Utkala Deepika seems to be the first Odia magazine, which was initially launched on August 4, 1866.

Phases of Odia literature:

• 800 AD to around 1300 AD – Old Odia 
• 1300 AD to around 1500 AD – Early Medieval Odia 
• 1500 AD to around 1700 AD – Medieval Odia 
• 1700 AD to around 1850 AD – Late Medieval Odia 
• 1850 AD to present – Modern Odia 

These are the five phases Odia literature went through.

The innovation, evolution, as well as continuity of Odia history and linguistics across time could well be witnessed across both spoken and written forms, such as folk stories, including manuscripts. Songs performed upon birth, funeral while working, and even at festivals have helped to maintain the language among its spoken forms when passing it down the generations. Stories illustrated in cave drawings have helped to retain the language within the written language or format.

The early few years of the twentieth century gave rise to a community of poets whose main topic was patriotism. One of the examples is Gopabandhu Das, who is one of the backbones of modern Odisha and its development. He was the leader of this community, commonly referred to as the Satyabadi Group. This group inspired another similar group, called the Sabuja, who were mainly writers of Bengali literature and western-inspired literature. The Sabuja poets gave rise to variations in themes and forms,and their work was unique and full of youth.

Brief description of Odia Literature History:

A famous era: During the 16th century, Oriya devotional literature thrived. The efforts of the five saint poets (Panchasakha), who didn’t even appear at the same period, greatly enhanced Oriya literature. Jagannath Das, Balaram Das, Achyutanda Das, Yasovanta Das, as well as Ananta Das were their names. Jagannath Das, as well as Shri Chaitanya, lived around the same period. Some others followed the Utkaliya Baisanav Tatwa, whereas Shri Chaitanya preached the Gaudiya Vaishnav culture. These Panchasakhas are esteemed and constitute a distinct group that promoted Bhakti as the ultimate road towards God’s realisation.

16th and 17th century Period:

During Dhananjaya Bhanja throughout the mid-seventeenth century until Abhimanyu Samantasinghar throughout the mid-nineteenth century, the Age of Oriya’s beautiful and straightforward poetry lasted. Bhakti Rasa became substituted by Srinagar Rasa at this time. 

Even though there were numerous poets, Kabi Samrat Upendra bhanja generally gets credited for bringing elegant Oriya literature to its peak in the seventeenth century. This is why this literature period is known as the Bhanja Yuga. In his lyrical creations, Upendra Bhanja utilised their irony, humour, alliteration, and other literary techniques. He was a master of melodic word combinations, having mastered Sanskrit Abhidhan basics such as Amarkosa as well as Trikandakosa. 

Fiction and drama in Odia literature:

Fiction telling in the 1970s:

Throughout the early two decades of the 20th century, a collection of writers emerged, with their primary interest being patriotism. This group, known as the Satyabadi Group, was led by Gopabandhu Das, one of the founders of the present Odisha province. It was followed by the Sabuja, a group of writers influenced by Western and Bengali writings. The Sabuja poets experimented with fresh forms of expression, and their work seemed original.

Odia literature and drama:

The folk opera, or Jatra, is a popular Odia stage form that thrives in Odisha’s remote regions with rural populations. Modern theatre is no longer financially feasible, but innovative theatre gained a name for itself in the 1960s because of the work of Manoranjan Das, who founded a slight theatre movement with his creative style. 

The tradition was carried on by Bijay Mishra, Biswajit Das, Prasanna Das, Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Ratnakar Chaini, Mallick. Tripathy’s role in the creation and development of the hugely popular and thought-provoking folk opera is widely acknowledged, and he is sometimes referred to as the queen of Odia drama. Ananta Charan Sukla’s Odia adaptation of four ancient Greek tragedies seems to be a triumph.

List of popular Odia literature books:

There are a lot of famous Odia literature writers and books published by them that hold great importance for the subject of Odia literature. Some books are mentioned below:

• Jakhya by Kahnu Charana Mohanty
• Bana Gahana Tale by Kahnu Charana Mohanty
• Nilas Ra Apurba Abhijana by Bijaya Laxmi Mohanty
• Janmashtami Jatindra by Mohan Mohanty
• Yajnaseni – The Story of Draupadi by Pratibha Ray
• RayAmruta Phala by Manoj Das

These are a few popular literature books in Odia. There are giant libraries consisting of Odia literature that needs to be explored frequently

Conclusion

The article talks about Odia literature, its history, and its importance in today’s modern age. The article mentions a few books like Prapti by Paramita Sathpathy etc., prevalent in Odia literature. Odia literature is a vast section of uncovered writings and famous texts that can help shape the literature and poetry world into something better every day.