Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: Odisha has lost an eminent media personality, poet, writer and educationist with the passing of Dr Deepak Samantaray at the age of 69. His demise has cast a pall of gloom over the state's media, literary and cultural circles. Dr Dipak Samantarai: Senior Media Personality, Poet and Educationist Passes Away at 69

A former Director of the National Academy of Broadcasting and Multimedia (NABM) under All India Radio and Doordarshan, Dr Samantarai had a long association with broadcasting spanning more than 35 years. Since 1987, he had been involved in producing and presenting various radio programmes, dramas, interviews and serials. He had also served as an Assistant Director at All India Radio.

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An accomplished academic, Dr Samantarai completed his postgraduate studies in History, along with degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) and Law (LLB), from Utkal University. He later earned a PhD from Berhampur University.

He made significant contributions to Odia literature through his poetry collections, including Chhaya Aluara Pashakhela, Kanta Lekha, Shosha and Seven Horses. His prose works included Ajira Anuchinta and Shanta Mana, Sustha Jibana.

Among his notable broadcasting creations were Kalika, a 156-episode programme for Anganwadi children, Dadhyata Bhakti, based on social reformers, and Muktiratnuryananda, focusing on Odisha's freedom struggle.

Beyond media and literature, Dr Samantarai was deeply committed to preserving Cuttack's rich cultural heritage. He was a key inspiration behind the Cuttack Heritage Walk and actively participated in several cultural and social organisations.

He also enthusiastically contributed to efforts to secure the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Cuttack's traditional silver filigree craft, locally known as Tarakasi.

His contributions to broadcasting, Odia literature and heritage conservation will be remembered, leaving behind an enduring legacy and an irreplaceable void in Odisha's cultural landscape.