Sarojini Sahoo to Receive 45th Sarala Puraskar for Her Novel ‘Asthira Pada’
By Payal Banerjee
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 20: Renowned feminist writer Sarojini Sahoo has been selected to receive the prestigious 45th Sarala Puraskar, Odisha’s highest literary honor, awarded annually by the IMFA Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) for outstanding contributions to literature.
Sahoo is being recognized for her novel ‘Asthira Pada,’ published by Srujan India in 2019. The award will be conferred at a special ceremony on October 26, where Sahoo will be honored with a plaque and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
In addition to ‘Asthira Pada,’ several other noteworthy works made it to the final selection round. These include:
- Agni Kamalini by Aparna Mohanty
- Aprastuta Mrutyu by Ashutosh Parida
- Abadharita O Anyanya Galpa by Dash Benhur
- Kankana Dasi Katha by Bijay Kumar Satpathi
- Maya by Biyot Projna Tripathy
- Sita Mun Sita by Padmaj Paul
The initial panel of judges, comprising Dr. Biranchi Kumar Sahoo, Dr. Pragyan Prabartika Dash, Madhusudan Dash, Dr. Jnanee Debasish Mishra, and Ratnamala Swain, shortlisted the entries. The final round was evaluated by a distinguished jury, including Dr. Bhagaban Jayasingh, Prof. Kalidas Mishra, Dr. Gourahari Das, Sadananda Tripathy, Baijayanti Mishra, Sanjukta Mohanty, and Tapas Kumar Samantaray.
In addition to the Sarala Puraskar, the ‘Ila-Bansidhar Panda Kala Samman’ for lifetime excellence in the arts, also presented by IMPaCT, has been announced for 2024. This year, eminent sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo and renowned singer Tansen Singh will be recognized for their outstanding contributions. Both artists will receive a certificate, plaque, and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.
The music section was judged by Susmita Das, Ratikant Satpathy, and Sarat Nayak, while Panchami Manoo Ukil, Satyabhushan Hota, and Birendra Pani served as judges for the art section.
The Sarala Puraskar, established in 1980 by visionary industrialist Dr. Bansidhar Panda and his wife Ila Panda, continues to be a mark of literary excellence in Odisha, celebrating and promoting creative achievements through the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).
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Photo Caption: Writer Sarojini Sahoo (right) alongside the cover of her book ‘Asthira Pada.’
