Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Bahi Haat begins in Balangir : The Telegraph

January 10, 2011 at 4:40 pm sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following report is taken from The Telegraph:

Balangir, Jan. 9: The opening day of Balangir book fair ‘Bahi Hata’ marked the release of four books. Writer Srinivas Udgata released two collections of short stories namely Srikshetra Badnaam Na Heu and Anuraag by Elora Mishra, an anthology of English poems Her Sorrowful Expressions by Krishna Chandra Panda and another book on Balangir tourism Tirtha Bhumi Harisankar by Padmanava Mishra.

Talking about his English poem collection, author Krushna Chandra Panda said that the book was an anthology of 34 poems and Her Sorrowful Expression is the title poem of the book.

“In the title poem, I have tried to raise the issue of female foeticide, a burning problem in our society. As the foetus grows in the womb of the mother, there is debate on whether it is a boy or a girl and if it is a girl, should she allowed to take birth. It is the pain of the female foetus that I have tried to express through the poem,” Panda said.

Tirtha Bhumi Harisankar by Padmanava Mishra is more like a memory because the author had earlier lived on the foothills of Gandhamardan hills where Harisankar, a holy shrine, is situated. “It is my memory of Harisankar which I used to frequent when I was working in the area. Many things must have changed by now. It is the imagery of the past landscapes, people and the scenic beauty of Harisankar that I have described in the book,” Mishra said.

Inaugurating the sixth edition of Balangir book fair, Udgata said that books never lie.

“A book should be a person’s best friend as they can guide a person through his life,” Udgata said.

Udgata denied the common notion that there has been a decline in the popularity of books.

“I completely disagree with this. People have always loved books and they will continue to do so,” he said.

Zilla Lekhak Parishad president Sashi Bhusan Purohit urged district collector Sailendra Narayan Dey to direct the authorities of the schools and colleges to buy books for their libraries. At least forty publishers from across the country have participated in the book fair here. Kendriya Sahiyta Academy has participated in the book fair for the first time.

Entry filed under: Balangir, Balangir Bahi Haat, Books, Kosli language and literature, Language, Magazine & Periodicals, Poems, Region watch.