Bhubaneswar, March 16: Padma Bhusan and renowned Odia Poet Ramakanta Rath is no more.
Rath passed away on Sunday at 91, in his residence at Bhubaneswar this morning.
Rath, the sole creator of ‘Sri Radha’ a modern classic poem, contributed a lot to the Odia literature.
Some of his notable works include ‘Kete Dinara’, ‘Aneka Kothari’, ‘Sandigdha Mrigaya’, ‘Saptama Ritu’ & ‘Sachitra Andhara’.
Born in Cuttack, Rath obtained his MA in English Literature from Ravenshaw College before joining the Indian Administrative Services in 1957. Rath retired as Chief Secretary ,Odisha after holding several important posts in the Central Government.
He received the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, Saraswathi Samman in 1992, Bishuva Samman in 1990, and India’s 3rd highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2006.
Rath also served as the Vice President of the Sahitya Academy of India from 1993 to 1998 and the President of the Sahitya Akademi of India from 1998 to 2003.
