Jayanta Mahapatra (1928-2023) Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	Poet
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	22/10/1928
Age	94 years (died on 27, Aug, 2023)
Birthplace	Cuttack, Odisha
Date of Death	27/08/2023

Do you like Jayanta Mahapatra?

You can vote only once.

Bio/Wiki

Jayanta Mahapatra was a pioneering Indian English poet and the first Indian poet to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award for English poetry in 1981. He was born into a prominent Odia Christian family and spent his entire life in Cuttack, Odisha, where he was educated, taught, and lived. Originally trained as a physicist with a Master's degree from Patna University, Mahapatra had an unconventional literary journey, beginning to write poetry around age 40 and publishing his first English poetry collection, Svayamvara and Other Poems, in 1971. He is considered one of the three founders of modern Indian English poetry alongside A.K. Ramanujan and Nissim Ezekiel. His poetry explored themes of human relationships, Indian social problems, spirituality, existentialism, and the cultural heritage of Odisha, blending his scientific background with deep literary insight. Mahapatra was also a distinguished editor of the literary magazine Chandrabhaga, which he founded and edited for over two decades, and organized the annual Chandrabhaga literary festival. He authored 27 collections of poetry—20 in English and 7 in Odia—as well as prose works and translations. In 2009, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, but returned it in 2015 to protest against growing intolerance in India.

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	white

Educational Qualification(s)

B.Sc. (Honours) from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack	1946
M.Sc. (Honours) in Physics from Patna University, Bihar	1949
Studied at Stewart European School, Cuttack	1933–1941

Personal Life

Place of Death	SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha
Age (at the time of death)	94 Years
Death Cause	pneumonia
Religion	Christianity

Relationships & More

Marital Status (at the time of death)	Widower

Family

Father	Lemuel Mohapatra
Mother	Sudhansubala Dash
Spouse	Jyotsana Rani Das (married 1951, passed away in 2000s)
Children	Mohan Mahapatra (passed away in 2018)

Career

Last Published work	Jhanji- the Sunstroke (Odia Poetry Book, released 01/01/2023)
Awards	In 1981, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poetry book "Relationships." In 2009, he won Padma Shree for his contribution to literature. In 2017, he won the Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for Poetry at the Jaipur Literature Festival. In 2013, he won the RL Poetry Lifetime Achievement Award for Poetry in Hyderabad. In 1975, he won the Jacob Glatstein Memorial Award for Poetry in Chicago. In 1970, he won a Second Prize at the International Who's Who in Poetry in London. In 1976, he received the Visiting Writer Award at the International Writing Program in Iowa City. In 1978, he received the Cultural Award for Visitor in Australia. In 1980, the Japan Foundation honoured him with a Visitor's Award in Japan. In 2009, he received the SAARC Literary Award in New Delhi. In 1970, Second Prize at the International Who's Who in Poetry in London In 1975, Jacob Glatstein Memorial Award for Poetry from Poetry Magazine, Chicago In 1976, Visiting Writer Award at the International Writing Program in Iowa City In 1978, Cultural Award for Visitor in Australia In 1980, Japan Foundation Visitor's Award in Japan In 1981, Sahitya Akademi Award for his poetry collection Relationship In 2009, Allen Tate Poetry Prize from Sewanee Review In 2009, Padma Shri for contribution to literature (returned in 2015) In 2009, SAARC Literary Award in New Delhi In 2013, RL Poetry Lifetime Achievement Award for Poetry in Hyderabad In 2017, Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for Poetry at the Jaipur Literature Festival
First English poetry collection	Svayamvara and Other Poems (1971)
Teaching Career	Lecturer in Physics at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack (1950–1958); G.M. College, Sambalpur (1958–1961, 1962–1965); Regional Engineering College, Rourkela (1961–1962); retired in 1986
Notable Poetry Collections	Close the Sky, Ten by Ten; A Rain of Rites; Life Signs; A Whiteness of Bone; Relationship
Editorial Work	Founder and editor of Chandrabhaga literary magazine from 2000 onwards; organized annual Chandrabhaga literary festival

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Jayanta Mahapatra (1928-2023) was an Indian English poet.
2. He was the first Indian poet to receive the Sahitya Akademi award for his English poetry.
3. Considered one of the pioneers of Indian English poetry, along with A. K. Ramanujan and R. Parthasarathy.
4. Mahapatra passed away in August 2023.
5. His childhood was challenging due to an inattentive father and strict mother.
6. Twice as a teenager, he ran away from home, facing obstacles each time.
7. Born into an Odian Christian lower middle-class family among Hindus.
8. Bullied in school for his religion, which he documented in diaries later destroyed by his mother.
9. Attended Stewart School and pursued Physics for higher education.
10. Started his teaching career after completing his master's degree in Physics.
11. Spent two years as a visiting writer at the University of Iowa.
12. Traveled to several countries during his teaching career.
13. Struggled to get his poems published until they gained recognition in international journals.
14. Retired in 1986 from his teaching job and from government service.
15. Besides poetry, he also delved into prose, publishing collections like Green Gardener and Door of Paper.
16. Became the editor of Chandrabhaga in 2000 and led the magazine for over 20 years.
17. Organized the annual Chandrabhaga literary festival.
18. Taught Physics as a professor at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack.
19. Started writing poetry around the age of 40.
20. Authored 27 collections of poetry, with 20 in English and 7 in Odia.
21. Born into an Odia Christian lower middle-class family among Hindus.
22. His poetry dealt with themes of human relationships, Indian social problems, love, sex, marriage, morality, and love for the country.
23. His poetry was an ironic reflection of religion, culture, and social life of Odisha, grounded in Odia cultural heritage.

Jayanta Mahapatra Poet Indian Cuttack, Odisha