BHUBANESWAR: The third Jayanta Mahapatra Memorial Lecture was organised by Ketaki Foundation Trust (KFT) at Gita Govinda Sadan here on Thursday, bringing together writers, poets and literary enthusiasts to celebrate the enduring legacy of the eminent Indian English poet.
The memorial lecture was delivered by distinguished Hindi poet, essayist and writer Udayan Vajpeyi on the theme, ‘The Tale of Power and Poetry’. He explored how poetry and the arts challenge the concentration of power by awakening individual sensibilities towards beauty and ethics.
Vajpeyi argued that poetry evokes truth rather than merely communicating it, enabling individual wisdom and perception to resist the standardisation imposed by the state and corporate forces. Reflecting on Mahapatra’s distinctive achievement, Vajpeyi described him as an Odia poet writing in English, whose poetry carries the textures and sensibility of Odisha and Indian civilisation.
Eminent writer and translator Prof Himansu Mohapatra highlighted a lesser-discussed aspect of Mahapatra’s literary legacy - his prose. Moving beyond the poet’s widely celebrated verse, Prof Mohapatra drew attention to Mahapatra’s short stories, essays and memoirs, inviting a broader appreciation of his literary imagination and contribution.
On the occasion, poet and KFT trustee Rabindra K Swain reflected on Mahapatra’s contribution to Indian English poetry and his lasting influence on the literary landscape. A special highlight of the evening was the release of the 22nd issue of Chandrabhaga, the literary magazine founded by Jayanta Mahapatra in 1979.
Ketaki Books, a sister organisation of the foundation, has undertaken its printing and publication in memory of the poet. The magazine cover features paintings by senior visual artists Lipisree Nayak and Subhendu Mishra, who were felicitated for their contributions.
The programme also featured readings of Mahapatra’s poems by Mamata Das, Birendra Nayak, Gouri Sahoo, Jitu Pradhan, Namita Jagdev and Sanjogita Mishra, who paid tribute to the poet through selections from his work. Chirag Swain gave the vote of thanks.
