Proposal to renovate writer Gopinath Mohanty’s house

KORAPUT: If all goes according to plan, then people will soon be able to peek into the life and works of renowned writer Gopinath Mohanty, the first recipient of National Sahitya Akademi Award for writing in Odia language. The Koraput administration has recently sent a proposal to the culture department to convert the house, situated at the district headquarters town of Koraput and where he had written some of his famous novels, into an interpretation centre.
Officials said Mohanty, an Odisha Administrative officer (OAS), had stayed at the house, a government quarter, during his posting in the district in the 1940s. Currently, the house is in a dilapidated condition and used as a godown by BSNL authorities.
“We have taken stock of the house which was the official residence of the renowned writer. A proposal has been sent to the government to convert the house into an interpretation centre. Once, the proposal is accepted, renovation work will start on war footing,” said Archana Das, deputy collector-cum-district culture officer, Koraput.
According to the officer, it has been planned to renovate the house to accommodate an auditorium, a library and an interaction centre. “Photos related to the writer, his works and his trysts in the tribal-dominated district will be on display at the centre,” she said.
Born in Cuttack in 1914, Mohanty, during his posting in Koraput, had penned novels like ‘Dadi Budha, ‘Paraja’ and ‘Amrutara Santana’, all based on the Paraja and Kondh tribes residing in the district. A Jnanpith awardee, Mohanty won the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 for his novel ‘Amrutara Santana’.