Odia litterateur J P Das passes away

Bhubaneswar: Author, playwright, painter and former IAS officer Jagannath Prasad Das passed away late on Wednesday night at the age of 90, marking the end to an era in Odia literature and public life.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi described his passing as an irreparable loss to literature and public service.

“He was not only a great writer but also an accomplished IAS officer who served the state and country in several important positions. The demise of J P Das, who left a unique mark of creativity in every field of literature, is an irreparable loss to the literary world,” the chief minister wrote on X.

Born in Puri in 1936, Das was one of the most influential figures in Odia literature for more than four decades. A prolific writer in both Odia and English, he also founded the Poetry Society (India), and served as its president for 14 years.

Among his most celebrated works was ‘Desha Kala Patra’, translated into English as ‘A Time Elsewhere’. The sweeping narrative, spanning five decades, offers a rich portrait of 19th-century Odisha. Not just this, several of his literary works were translated into English and other languages.

After completing his studies at the then Ravenshaw College, now a university, Das joined the Indian Administrative Service. As the collector of Kalahandi in 1966, he played a key role in relief efforts during a devastating famine and drought.

Though writing remained his first passion, Das balanced literature with public service for several years before resigning from the IAS in 1984 to devote himself to his creative pursuits.

A recipient of numerous honours, including Sarala Samman and Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award, Das was also selected for the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1990 for his poetry collection ‘Ahnik’. However, he chose not to accept the award.

His death drew tributes from across the literary, cultural and administrative spheres.