President Droupadi Murmu conferred Kalinga Ratna Award 2024 to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on 600th birth anniversary of Adikabi Sarala Das, a legendary 15th-century Odia poet. The award ceremony was part of the celebrations organised by Sarala Sahitya Sansad, which also honoured Bijaya Nayak, a noted short story writer, with the Sarala Samman.
Key Highlights
- Occasion: 600th birth anniversary of Adikabi Sarala Das
- Awardee: Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education
- Award: Kalinga Ratna Award 2024
- Presenter: President Droupadi Murmu
- Organiser: Sarala Sahitya Sansad, Cuttack
Dharmendra Pradhan’s Contribution:
Recognised for:
- Championing educational reforms
- Promoting vernacular languages
- Driving implementation of NEP 2020 (National Education Policy)
Sarala Samman:
- Conferred to: Bijaya Nayak, eminent Odia short story writer
- Awarded by: Sarala Sahitya Sansad
- Includes: Citation, shawl, and cash prize of ₹1,05,000
- Eligibility: Now open to all Odia literateurs, including those with national-level awards (like Jnanpith, Saraswati Samman, etc.)
Kalinga Ratna Award
- Established: 2007
- Awarded by: Sarala Sahitya Sansad
- Eligibility: Eminent individuals from Odisha with significant contributions at the national or international level in fields such as education, literature, or public service
- Frequency: Annual
Sarala Sahitya Sansad
- Founded: May 1982
- Location: Cuttack, Odisha
- Named After: Sarala Das – the first Odia poet (Adi Kabi)
- Objective:
- Preserve and promote the works of Sarala Das
- Promote Odia language and literature
About Sarala Das
- Real Name: Siddheswara Parida
- Era: 15th century
- Titles: Adikabi (First Poet of Odia literature)
- Key Contributions:
- Sarala Mahabharata (creative Odia adaptation of Mahabharata)
- Vilanka Ramayana
- Chandi Purana
- Legacy:
- Revered as originator of Odia literature
- Wrote in colloquial Odia, making the language accessible
- Believed to be a warrior and farmer before becoming a poet
- Contemporary of Gajapati King Kapilendra Deva
About Odia Language
- Native to: Odisha
- Former Name: Oriya
- Name Changed: 96th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011
- Schedule: Included in Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
- Classical Language Status:
- Granted: 1st March 2014
- Among 11 languages with classical status: Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali