The three- day Kalinga literary Festival (KlF) ended at the OD Art Centre and Mangalajodi, Chilika. The fourth edition of the KlF has been the best as far as attracting national and global attentions is concerned. The fifth edition has been announced to be held in June 2018.
This year the festival was themed on literature for Peace and Harmony. The theme focused on whether literature has a role in promoting peace and harmony. Though everyone was unanimous on the role the literature in peace and harmony, differences of opinion emerged on the modus operandi (method of operation). All sessions were connected to the central theme and created an extensive dialogue to understand, analyse and reflect on the immense possibilities that literature has in its variety of avatars.
Padma Vibhushan Sitakant Mahapatra and Padma Bhushan Ramakanta Rath highlighted that many Indian and western academics and literary experts are interested to know more on Odisha. They appreciated KlF for its focus on contemporary themes and creating sessions that would serve the purpose of holistic understanding.
First two days of the festival were held at Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar. The concluding session held at the shore of beautiful Chilka lake with Mystic Kalinga session saw leading poets reciting poems. Poets like Vineet Kumar, Sudipti Nirupam, Baqir Shameem, Satyanand Nirupam and others celebrity poets recited their new poems.
In the concluding session Kalinga literary Festival founder Rashmi Ranjan Parida, writer and publisher Ashok Maheswari, Vineet Kumar, Sudipti Nirupam, Baqir Shamim, Satyanand Nirupam, film critics Santanu Ganguly, KlF co-convenor Prachee Naik, Team members like Sambit Samal, co-founder Debaraj Mohanty, co-founder Sitansu Mahapatra, KlF co-founder and Director Kamala Kanta Dash and others joined.
Haraprasad Dash received the prestigious Kalinga literary Award, Anand Neelkantan won the newly introduced International Award and Paramita Satpathy received the newly introduced women specific Kalinga Karubaki Award. In order to reach out to the rural areas, 30 youths have been selected from different districts of Odisha. The Kalinga literary Youth Award has been conferred upon these bright names for promising contribution to Odia language and literature.
