Noted poet Jayanta Mahaptra passes away

Noted poet and litterateur, Jayanta Mahapatra passed away on 27 August 2023 after a prolonged illness at the Srirama Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital in Odisha's Cuttack. He was 95 years old.

Jayanta Mahapatra was the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry.

He authored poems such as 'Indian Summer' and 'Hunger', which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature.

The poet was conferred the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contribution to literature. However, he returned the award in 2015. 

Born on 22 October 1928, into a prominent Odia Christian family, Mahapatra went to school in Cuttack, Odisha. He began his teaching career as a lecturer in physics and taught at various government colleges in Odisha.