Prof Ganeswar Mishra's Legacy in Regional Literature Remembered on 10th Death Anniversary

Bhubaneswar, Aug 10: Ten years after his death, renowned academic and author Professor Ganeswar Mishra was remembered with a sense of reverence for his unique contribution to local literature in eastern India. In a memorial function organized on Saturday by Sateertha — a socio-cultural group instituted by the late Mishra himself — top writers and scholars paused to note the richness and originality of his work.

Delivering a lecture at the function, Prof Basant Kumar Panda made strong literary comparisons, juxtaposing Mishra's highly acclaimed novel Samudrika (1964) with milestone regional novels like Bengali Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay's Hansuli Banker Upakatha (1947) and Hindi Phanishwar Nath Renu's Maila Anchal (1954). He adds that Samudrika, focused on the Nolia fishing settlement in Puri, is significant since it is perhaps the only Odia novel to inhabit their universe — something of a rare event that adds texture to the canvas of Indian regional fiction.

Acclaimed author Dash Benhur captured Mishra's versatility, noting that aside from his fiction, Mishra was also an innovative feature writer — a genre that is still very much in vogue with today's readers. "His skill at marrying narrative richness with cultural commentary made his work both accessible and profound," he said.

Author Chirashree Indrasingh provided individual insights into Mishra's life and writing career, and emphasized introducing his work to young readers. "His stories still tell us things today — about people, places, and feelings that are worth more investigation," she mentioned.

The event also saw the launch of two new publications marking Mishra's legacy — Sakalara Muhan, a play adaptation of one of his novels by playwright Dayanidhi Tripathy, and Yah Dil Ki Suno, a translation in Hindi of his chosen short stories by Udayan Supakar.

Some who were there included poet Saroj Bal and scholar Dr Biraj Mohan Dash, who voiced a sentiment shared by many: Professor Ganeswar Mishra's voice is as contemporary as ever in the changing saga of Indian literature.