Sarojini Sahoo to receive Sarala Puraskar for novel "Asthira Pada"

Bhubaneswar, Sept 20: The prestigious Sarala Puraskar, awarded annually by the IMFA Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) for outstanding literary achievement, will this year be presented to renowned feminist author Sarojini Sahoo. She is recognized for her novel "Asthira Pada," published by Srujan India in 2019. The award ceremony is scheduled for October 26, where Sahoo will receive a plaque and a cash prize of five lakh rupees.

In addition to Sahoo’s work, several other books reached the final round of judging, including Aparna Mohanty's "Agni Kamalini," Ashutosh Parida's "Aprastuta Mrutyu," Dash Benhur's "Abadharita O Anyanya Galpa," Bijay Kumar Satpathi's "Kankana Dasi Katha," Biyot Projna Tripathy's "Maya," and Padmaj Paul's "Sita Mun Sita." The preliminary judges for the selection process included Dr. Biranchi Kumar Sahoo, Dr. Pragyan Prabartika Dash, Madhusudan Dash, Dr. Jnanee Debasish Mishra, and Ratnamala Swain. The final judging panel consisted of Dr. Bhagaban Jayasingh, Prof. Kalidas Mishra, Dr. Gourahari Das, Sadananda Tripathy, Baijayanti Mishra, Sanjukta Mohanty, and Tapas Kumar Samantaray.

Additionally, the 'Ila-Bansidhar Panda Kala Samman,' awarded annually by IMPaCT for lifetime achievement in the arts, has also been announced for 2024. This year, sculpture artist Sudarshan Sahoo and renowned singer Tansen Singh will each receive a certificate, a plaque, and a cash prize of two lakh rupees. The music section judges included Susmita Das, Ratikant Satpathy, and Sarat Nayak, while the art section was judged by Panchami Manoo Ukil, Satyabhushan Hota, and Birendra Pani.

The Sarala Puraskar was established in 1980 by eminent Odia industrialist Dr. Bansidhar Panda and his wife Ila Panda and has been continuously awarded by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT). The award ceremony will take place in Bhubaneswar on October 26, 2024.