MANOJ KUMAR JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: At a district-level function held at Khurda last month on the occasion of ‘Magha Saptami’, a little-known writer was felicitated for his research work on the war history of the area, which was well appreciated by the audience. This was because the author of ‘Khordha Itihasa Re Juddha,’ depicting the battles fought by ‘Paikas’ (the erstwhile warrior clan of Khurda) and their heritage didn’t come from any literary background, neither did he complete his formal education. He is a daily wager and slogs day in and day out to make his, and his family’s, ends meet.
Meet 55-year-old Shankar Sahoo, a resident of Banamalipur village in the district, whose love for books (history books in particular) shaped his life’s journey marked by hard labour and poverty. Shankar grew up in a poor family as the third among four brothers. Financial struggles forced him to drop out of school after Class IX. However, his curiosity and passion for reading ceased to die down. From a young age, Shankar was drawn towards history, fascinated by tales of ancient civilisations, dynasties, and the past that shaped the present.
Despite working as a labourer to support his family, Shankar found ways to read about history. “I saved half of my daily earnings and travelled to book fairs in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to buy books,” Shankar says with a chuckle. His thirst for reading was so strong that he once went to the market with Rs 400 to buy a dress for his daughter, but ended up buying books instead. Shankar says even after long hours of physical labour, he makes time to visit public libraries to get immersed in books.
Over the years, he built his own collection and transformed a section of his rickety thatched house into a small library using cardboard cartons and steel trunks. His collection of history books runs into a few hundreds, while he has thrown open the library doors open to children in his village. One of the most defining moments in Shankar’s life came when he laid his hands on the works of author Pradeep Kumar Patnaik. Deeply inspired by Patnaik’s works, Shankar reached out to him, expressing his desire to write. “He was deeply moved by my book ‘Bhanjagada Aitiha’ and contacted me. That very day, I sensed his passion for writing. I guided him to publish his first book, and then he never looked back. Shankar is a very hardworking person who seeks to make a difference in the society,” Patnaik says in his appreciation for the unassuming writer.
In 2016, Shankar published his first book, ‘Odisha Ra Prachina Rajya o Rajya Bansabali,’ a detailed account of Odisha’s ancient kingdoms and royal dynasties. Since then, he has written and published six to seven books, and has also contributed as an editor to several other books. He says his efforts to preserve history through writing caught the attention of the literary community, and many established writers extended their support to him.
Later he authored, Biramati Tapang Gada Itihas, Khordha Itihasa Re Judha Prasanga, Mundabali and some more books on history. Over the years, Shankar’s dedication and contributions have been recognised with several prestigious awards. He was awarded with Odisha Itihasa Parijata Saman, Khordha Saman, to name a few.
