To Sir With Love: Cuttack Heritage Walks Pays Tributes to Poet Jayanta Mahapatra at OCA Venue

Cuttack, September 11: Heritage lovers of the Millennium City under the umbrella of Cuttack Heritage Walks (CHW) in a joint collaboration with Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) organised an event with a difference _ ``To Sir With Love’’_ in memoriam legendary bilingual world-poet from Odisha, Jayanta Mahapatra, who has given Cuttack a new dimension in the literary landscape for his literary creations and also for unconditional love for the charming city of brotherhood and fellow-feeling.

The event, under the nomenclature "CHW Khatti'' started with a two-minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the departed poet, who was fondly called as ``Jayanta Sir’’ as he was a popular Physics professor apart from his poetic self, the memoirs shared by the participating writers, poets, academics, administrators made the evening lively and filled with the lasting aura of the great poet, who had created a lasting impression across the world for his poetry which took common characters to uncommon heights, peaks and valleys of flowers, fragrance and also strolled them along the beaches of Puri-on-Sea.

Justice Sashikanta Mishra, Prof Chinmay Jena, Prof Fredrik Wright, well-known poet Gayatribala Panda, writer Bijay Malla, poet Amiya Ranjan Mohapatra, Prof Gyani Debashish Mishra and other well-known poets Sangram Jena, Suresh Nayak, Rabindra Kumar Swain, Prasanna Swain, Sarita Samal, Ashok Patnaik, Kedar Mishra, Basudev Sunani Gopa Ranjan Mishra shared their experiences and also recited poems and read from his published work  Publisher Manu Dash read out two letters which had come to the poet from contemporary poets. Excerpts of interviews of the poet were presented by Sailen Routray.

While CHW Convener and poet Dipak Samantrai coordinated the programme, Kumar Prasenjit Sahu propesed the vote of thanks. An audio of  the noted Hindi poet and Bollywood writer-film maker Gulzar's tribute to Jayanta Mahapatra was  played for the distinguished audience.