BHUBANESWAR: Mystic Kalinga Festival, a 3-day affair celebrating mythology, mysticism, music, dance and spiritual literature, kicked off here Saturday amid presence of leading personalities of Indian literature such as Ashok Vajpeyi, Ramkant Rath and Sitakant Mohapatra among cultural enthusiasts of the city.
Noted poet and former Lalit Kala Akademi chairman Ashok Vajpeyi received the prestigious Mystic Kalinga Literary award on the occasion. Rashmi Ranjan Parida, Founder and President, Mystic Kalinga Festival said, “This Festival focuses on enhancing the potential of literature in the nation. It would encourage young poets and writers of the sate to come up with new forms of literature.” An International festival of Spiritual literature, poetry and performance, Mystic kalinga is an extension of Kalinga Literary Festival. It is scheduled to continue till January 7, 2019.
Vajpeyi is a noted Hindi poet, critic, essayist and translator, and a dynamic presence in the Indian cultural scene. He is the author of thirty-eight books of poetry and criticism in Hindi and the founder/editor of eight journals in Hindi and English. He is the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1994) for his book Kahin Nahin Vahin, the Agyeya Rashtriya Samman (1997) for his contribution to Hindi literature, the Officer’s Cross of Merit (2004) from the Republic of Poland, and the Officier de L’Ordre des Art et des Lettres (2005) from the Republic of France among others.
Along with Vajpeyi, noted Odia poet and playwright Harihar Mishra also received Mystic Kalinga Literary Award for his exceptional contribution in creating thought provoking Odia plays. He had won the Odisha Sahitya Akademi award way back in 1977 for his play Ratira Duiti Dena.
Mystic Kalinga Literary Award (Special Citation) was conferred upon Prateek Patnaik, a young researcher of Odia literature and Odissi music who has received many accolades for his extraordinary contribution in digitising the classical literature, vulnerable cultural practices including performing arts, musical tradition, lesser known monuments, neglected languages and palm leaf manuscripts.
The event also witnessed Hindustani music performance, book launches and conversation with senior police officer Basant Rath for his exceptional management skills in overseeing security situations in Jammu and Kashmir.