Gourahari Das

Gourahari Das
Born	(1960-10-09) 9 October 1960 Sandhagada, Bhadrak district, Odisha, India
Pen name	Sri Narada
Occupation	novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, dramatist columnist
Genre	crime, drama, history, travel, poetry
Notable works	Chayasoudho Ro Absesha, Nijo Sange Nijoro Lodhei

Dr. Gourahari Das (born 9 October 1960 in India) is a story writer, novelist, columnist of Odisha, India.

Early life and Education

Gourahari Das was born on 9 October 1960 in Sandhagada village of Bhadrak district of Odisha to Gajendra Prasad Das and Smt. Sakuntala Das. After finishing elementary education at his village primary school and then at Ghatapur High School, he left for Cuttack. Where he earned his livelihood as a domestic help in some well-to-do families and managed to pursue his education in Ravenshaw Evening College. Starting from Intermediate to Postgraduate classes, he has studied in night colleges. He has never been a day scholar owing to his precarious financial condition. He holds the M.A, PhD, M.J.M.C. degrees.

Journalism

He joined Sambad the largest circulated Oriya daily as a trainee-journalist in 1985. He continues there as the Editor of Features and Editor of Katha. He has worked in different capacities starting from the Director (News) of Kanak TV, a sister organisation of Sambad and CGM (News) of Sambad.

Teaching

Presently, Das is the Principal of Sambad School of Media and Culture which runs post-Graduate Programm in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Writings

He writes a political gossip Rajdhani Rajneetiunder the pseudonym Sri Narada {the Hindu mythological character who is regarded as the very first journalist of the world) in Sambad. Jibanara Jalachabi is another very popular column in Sambad, which means Reflections of life where he reflects on his real life experiences which are inspiring, his strong words and forceful logical exposition probing the depths of human wounds and carrying the inner voice of the victim. Another of his regular columns is Orissa Diary which is also in Sambad, since 25 years. He has been continuously writing since 1980 and has published more than 40 titles by 2011.

Fellowships

Junior Research Fellowship (Central Ministry of Culture) Writer in Residency Fellowship: Sahitya Academy, New Delhi.

Books

Short Story Collections

• Juarobhatta – 1981 (High Tide Low Tide)
• Akhadagharo- 1989 (Community House)
• Swapno paien rati kahin- 1991 (Night’s too small for dreams)
• Bharotoborso – 1994 (India)
• Punarubruti – 1995 (Repetition)
• Mati kondhei – 1995 (Mud Toy)
• Sesha Bazzi – 1997(Last Challenge)
• Maya – 1998 (Illusion)
• Gharo – 2000 (House)
• Kagajo danga – 2002 (Paper Boat)
• Ahalya ro bahaghoro – 2004 (Marriage of Ahalya)
• Pichila Pachis – 2007 (Bygone Twenty-five)
• Konta O onyano galpa – 2009 (Thorne& Other Stories)
• Akaso dine nilo thila (The Sky was Once Blue) under production.

Novels

• Chayasoudho Ro Absesha – 1996 (Remnants of Shadow Palace)
• Nijo Sange Nijoro Lodhei – 1999 (The fight within)
• Eithu Arambha – 2005 (Begin from here)
• Apononko Agyandhina – 2010 (Yours Sincerely)

Drama

• Aparadh – 2003 (Crime)

Travelogue

• Pratham Prabas – 1997 (First Journey)
• Due Diganta – 2003 (TwoHorizons)
• Chinha Achina Chin – 2003 (Known/Unknown)

Feature collections

• Jibanara Jalachabi – 1993 (Reflections of Life)
• Chinha Chouhadi – 1996 (The Known Boundaries)
• Virno Vumika – 1998 (Another Role)
• Parichit Paridhi – 2001 (The Known Circle)
• Asamarth Iswar – 2007 (The Helpless God)

Edited collections

• Karmajogi Fakircharan – 1995 (Biography)
• Piladino – 2000 (Childhood)
• Prem – 2001 (Love)
• Bholo Golpo(Good Stories)
• Bhumi O’ Bhumika – 2004
• Surjyasto Ro Rongo – 2001 (Colour of the Sunset)

Trancreations

• Bhagaban Rajneesh – 1986 (The Rise & Fall of Bhagwan Rajneesh)
• Mitro Marjani- 2003 (N.B.T)
• Yashpalnko Kahanimala – 2003

Essays

• Orissa Diary – 2001
• Kothabarta – 2001
• Kotha sori nahi – 2011 (Collection of Talks)

Translations

• Door Akash Ke Panchi – 2002 Mathura ka Manachitra

English publications

• The Little Monk And Other Stories^[1]

Books about Dr. Gourahari Das

• Gourochandrika edited by Dr. Bijayananda Singh & Dr. Prakash Kumar Parida

Awards

He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including

• Orissa Sahitya Academy Award in the year 2001.
• Best Young Playwright by Sangeet Natak Academy in the year 2001 for Drama "Aparadh”
• Bhubaneswar Pustakmela Puraskar in the year 1999.

• Other awards
  • Gokarnika Sahitya Samman in 1991
  • Srikhetra Samman, Puri in 1993
  • Punarnaba Samman,Chandol, Kendrapada in 1996
  • Sahitya Samman, Kalahandi in 1993
  • Akhila Katha Samman, Bhubaneswar in 1998
  • Swetapadma Samman, Paralakhemundi in 1998
  • Prabasi Samman, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand in 1996
  • Sahitya Bharati (Youth) Samman in 2002
  • Akhilachandra Samman, Jajpur in 2003
  • Mukti Galpo Samman, Sambalpur in 2003
  • Samant Chandrasekhar Samman, Nayagarh in 2003
  • Katha Nayak Samman, Keonjhar in 2003
  • Utkal Sahitya Samaj Katha Samman, Katak in 2004
  • Rajdhani Utsav Samman, Bhubaneswar in 2005
  • Chetana Sahitya Sansad Samman, Kendrapada in 2005
  • Prativa Puja Parishad Samman, Katak in 2004
  • Lala Lajpatrai Samman, Katak in 2003
  • Saptarishi Puraskar, Jyoti bihar University, Sambalpur in 2004
  • Rajdhani Pustakmela Puraskar, Bhubaneswar in 2005
  • Kadambini Upanyasa Samman, Bhubaneswar in 2006
  • Amrutayan Puraskar, Bhubaneswar in 2007
  • Teerataranga Puraskar, Bhubaneswar in the year 2008
  • Pakhi ghoro Puraskar in the year 2010 for contributions to Oriya literature and Journalism
  • Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in the Year 2013 for his book Kanha O Anyanya Galpa^[2]

References