Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

New Delhi: Haldhar Nag, a 66-year-old poet of Kosli language received the Padma Shri award from the hands of the President of India. Haldhar has barely been to school but the poet and writer from western Orissa has been the topic of research for five PhDs.

Nag remembers all his composed works, spanning the poems and the 20 epics that he has written in Kosli language, which would soon be compiled by Sambalpur University, and be a part of the university syllabus.

“He remembers whatever he writes and has been reciting them. You just need to mention the name or subject. He never misses anything. Now he attends at least three to four programmes every day to recite his poems,” said a close associate of the poet.

Nag told a leading newspaper, “It’s great to see the huge interest of young people in poems in Kosli. Everyone is a poet, but only a few have the art of giving them shape.” Nag added “I was felicitated and that encouraged me to write more. I started touring nearby villages to recite my poems and got huge response.”