Eminent poet Prof. Soubhagya Kumar Mishra was honored with the prestigious Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for his outstanding contributions to literature. The award was presented to him in absentia during the 59th Foundation Day celebration of Berhampur University, held at the Biju Patnaik Auditorium on Thursday.
As Prof. Mishra was unable to attend due to prior commitments, the Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University, Prof. Geetanjali Dash, accepted the citation and a cheque for Rs. 1 lakh on his behalf. The award was presented by Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Minister of Commerce, Transport, Steel, and Mines.
Prof. Mishra is widely respected for his deep understanding and excellence in Odia literature. He has had a significant impact as an academic, poet, and philosopher, inspiring generations of writers. His poetry is known for transforming profound thoughts into impactful expressions, leaving a lasting influence on the literary world.
As a professor in the English Department at Berhampur University, Prof. Mishra has made invaluable contributions to both research and creative writing, enriching the academic community and Odia literature. His dedication to both fields has been widely recognized.
Throughout his career, Prof. Mishra has received several prestigious awards, including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1986), Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award (1979), Governor’s Medal (1993), Gangadhar National Award for Poetry (2013), Bishuba Award (2014), and a Senior Fellow Award from the Department of Culture, Government of India (1995). He was also an Honorary Fellow in the International Writing Programme at the University of Iowa, USA.
The Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award has been previously given to renowned litterateurs such as Manoj Das (2019), Pratibha Ray (2020), Sitakanta Mahapatra (2021), Ramakanta Rath (2022), Jayant Mahapatra (2023), and Haraprasad Das (2024).
The ceremony also saw the presentation of the ‘Dakhina Odisha Loka Sanskruti Samman’ to two folk artists, Shyam Sundar Panigrahi, a Ramlila exponent from Pratapgiri, and Ajay Kumar Bishoyi Badakodanda, a Kandheinacha exponent from Ganjam.
Among the attendees were former State Chief Information Commissioner Sunil Kumar Mishra and Prof. Sachidananda Mohanty, Executive Director of AIIMS, Kashmir.
