SAMBALPUR: Eminent Sambalpuri lyricist, playwright and poet Padma Shri Binod Kumar Pasayat passed away on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Sambalpur. He was 90.
Family sources said he had been ailing for the past few weeks and was under treatment at his residence. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the hospital, where he breathed his last. He had been suffering from age-related ailments and prostate issues.
Born on December 3, 1935, in Kusmel village of Balangir district, Pasayat was a barber by profession but carved a remarkable niche in Sambalpuri and Koshali literature. Introduced to drama at the age of 10 through the Ramji Drama Party, he later moved to Sambalpur in 1953, where he opened a barber shop at Baidyanath chowk.
The modest workplace also became a hub for his literary pursuits, where he penned poems, plays and songs. Pasayat enriched Sambalpuri culture with evergreen creations such as ‘Ae Nani Sulochana’, ‘Rathar Chaka Chale Ghidighidi’, and ‘Bajuche Madala Ae Baula Kurei Phula’.
He also wrote songs for Odia films including ‘Samarpan’ and ‘Para Stri’. His acclaimed dramas such as ‘Ukhi’, ‘Mui Nai Mare’, ‘Lita’, ‘Chinha’ and ‘Bharna’ are considered milestones in Sambalpuri theatre. In recognition of his contribution, he was conferred the Padma Shri in 2024.
Over his seven-decade- long literary journey, he received more than 45 honours, including the Sarala Puraskar (2008), Odisha Sahitya Akademi Puraskar (2010) and Sarada Prasanna Gitikabita Samman (2019).
Despite national recognition, he remained deeply rooted in his ancestral profession, continuing to run his barber shop until ill health forced him to close it two years ago.
Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, were among the persons who condoled his death.