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Santanu Kumar Acharya

サンタヌ・クマール・アチャリヤ

Santanu Kumar Acharya

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-05-15 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India）
Nationality
India
Languages
Odia
Residence History
Kolkata (birthplace) → Sidheswarpur (ancestral village, Odisha) → Cuttack (Ravenshaw College / professional activity) → Bhubaneswar (Utkal University)

Career

Occupations
Professor, Novelist, Short story writer, Children's author, University registrar
Active Years
1958-2022
Affiliations
Utkal University
Influenced By
Gopala Chandra Praharaj (grandfather; compiler of Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha)

Education

Ravenshaw College
Department of Chemistry
Degree: MSc (Chemistry)
Country: India
Holds an MSc in Chemistry

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Award
1993
Work: Chalanti Thakura (The Living God)
Organization: Sahitya Akademi (Indian National Academy of Letters)
Result: 受賞
Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award
1962
Work: Nara-Kinnara
Organization: Odisha Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞
National Award for Children's Literature (Ministry of Education, Government of India)
1961
Work: Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe (My Wooden Horse Speaks)
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Ministry of Education, Government of India
Result: 受賞
National Award for Children's Literature (Ministry of Education, Government of India)
1963
Work: Akashaku Satoti Pahacha (Seven Steps to the Heavens)
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Ministry of Education, Government of India
Result: 受賞
Sarala Puraskara
1987
Work: Shakuntala
Organization: IMFA (Sarala Prize awarding body)
Result: 受賞
Konarka Prize
1994
Work: Chalanti Thakura (The Living God)
Organization: Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata
Result: 受賞
Katha Puraskar
2003
Work: Anomara Kanya (Anoma's Daughter)
Organization: Katha Bharati Foundation, New Delhi
Result: 受賞
Sahitya Bharati Puraskar
2004
Work: Lifetime achievement
Organization: Gangadhara Ratha Foundation
Result: 受賞
Atibadi Jagannath Das Award
2014
Work: Lifetime contribution to Odia literature
Organization: Sahitya Akademi, Odisha
Result: 受賞（特別式）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Nara-Kinnara

1962 Novel

An early novel dealing with man and subhuman elements; a long-form work exploring social and psychological themes.

human naturesocial realismintrospection
Translations
  • Hindi translation by Shankar Lal Purohit (2017)

Shatabdira Nachiketa

1965 Novel

A novel portraying the conflicts of an era through its protagonist symbolizing the century.

spirit of the ageindividual vs society

Shakuntala

1980 Novel (analysis of violence and the Naxalite movement)

A novel analyzing political violence in India, with focus on the Naxalite movement.

political violencerevolution and repressionmoral dilemmas
Translations
  • English translation by Lipipushpa Nayak (first edition 2014)
  • Hindi translation by Prof Radhakanta Mishra (1997)

Anomara Kanya

2002 Historical novel

A historical novel that re-examines the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, blending Odia milieu with reinterpretation of history.

historical re-evaluationculture and identity
Translations
  • English translation by Bibhas Mohanty and the author

Chalanti Thakura

1991 Short story collection

A collection of short stories addressing religious and social themes. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award.

faithsocial critiquehuman condition
Translations
  • Bengali translation by Shyamasundar Mahapatra and Amitrasudan Bhattacharya (2016)

Bibliography

  • Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe (1961)
  • Nara-Kinnara (1962)
  • Shatabdira Nachiketa (1965)
  • Tinoti Ratira Sakala (1969)
  • Dakshinabarta (1973)
  • Shakuntala (1980)
  • Chalanti Thakura (1991)
  • Anomara Kanya (2002)
  • Mo Jeeban: Anya Eka Upanyasa (Autobiography, 2013)
  • Jeje Malapare (2020)
  • Bahu Bahu Janma (2022)

Translations by Author

  • English translation of Anomara Kanya (co-translated by Bibhas Mohanty and the author)

Translations of Works

  • Shakuntala — English translation by Lipipushpa Nayak (2014)
  • Nara-Kinnara — Hindi translation by Shankar Lal Purohit (2017)
  • Chalanti Thakura — Bengali translation (2016)
  • Dakshinabarta — Gujarati translation (publication year unknown)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical yet realist style emphasizing nature and introspectionAnalytical narration that calmly depicts social and political issues
Recurring Motifs
nature and rural landscapesjourneys and travelinner conflictpolitical violence and social movementschildren and science (children's literature)

Legacy

Recognized as one of the leading writers in Odia literature. His broad body of work across novels, short stories and children's literature and numerous awards have earned him high esteem both within the state and nationally.

Academic Societies

  • Odisha Sahitya Akademi

Archives

  • Materials collected by the Santanu Kumar Acharya Trust Foundation

In Popular Culture

  • Works are sometimes used as teaching material and research subjects in schools and literary studies in Odisha

Trivia

  • His grandfather Gopala Chandra Praharaj compiled the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha.
  • His mother Krushnapriya died in 1942; this loss influenced his early writing.
  • He served as a college teacher for 34 years (1958–1992) and retired as Registrar of Utkal University.
  • He wrote extensively in children's literature, including works with science-fictional elements.