Oriya, Bengali and Assamese all spring from the same Eastern Magadhi Apabhramsa (literal meaning: corrupted language) and hence are considered to be sister languages. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Oriya was heavily influenced by Sanskrit whose impact is perceptible even today.
Oriya literature upto 1500 A.D by and large encompassed poems and prose with religion, and various Hindu deites as their main themes. The earliest compositions may be found in the Madala Panji or the 12th century palm-leaf inscriptions
preserved in the Jagannatha temple at Puri. The first great poet of Orissa is the famous Sarala-dasa who wrote the Chandi Purana and the Vilanka Ramayana, both praising the goddess Durga. Rama-bibha, written by Arjuna-dasa, is the first long poem in the Oriya language.
The next era is more commonly called the Jagannatha Dasa period and extends upto the year 1700. This age commences with the writings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu whose Bhakti (Devotion to a personal God) cult ushered in a revolution in Oriya literature. A band of five friends ─ Balarama Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Yasovanta Dasa, Ananta Dasa and Achyutananda Dasa were the main exponents in religious works in Oriya. Prominent works of this period include the Usabhilasa of Sisu Sankara Dasa, Rahasya-manjari (a compilation of mysteries)of Deva-durlabha Dasa and the Rukmini-bibaha (wedding of Rukmini) of Kartikka Dasa.
A new genre of novels in verse evolved in early 17th century when Ramachandra
Pattanayaka wrote Haravali. Others like Madhusudana, Bhima, Dhivara, Sadasiva and Sisu Isvara-dasa developed Kavyas or long poems based on themes from the Puranas, whose language was plain and simple Oriya.
During the period 1700─1850 the language became rather complex in nature. During this period eminent composers of Vaishnava poetry were Upendra Bhanja Dasa (1670─1720), Bhima-Bhoi (1855─1895) and Arakshita Dasa. The first Oriya printing typeset was cast in 1836 by the Christian missionaries. Subsequently, there emerged three eminent literary men ─ Rai Bahadur Radhanatha Ray (1849─1908), Fakir Mohan Senapati (1843─1918) who has four novels and 20 short stories to his credit; and Madhusudana Rao (1853─1912). The trio brought in a modern outlook and spirit into Oriya literature.
The 20th century writers in Oriya include Gopabandhu Das (1877─1928), a prolific writer in both English and his mother tongue Oriya, is widely acclaimed as the father of modern Orissa. He was conferred the prestigious title of Utkalamani (the gem of Orissa) for his contributions to the culture of his native state Mayadhara Manasingha (1905─1973), leading poet, critic and educationist was the first to obtain a Doctorate in Oriya literature. He wrote more than 50 books, among which Dhupa is considered a masterpiece.
Dr Radhanath Rath (1896─1988) was a distinguished writer and poet who made valuable contributions towards Oriya literature and culture. He had authored many poems, stories and biographies. ‘Mo Jel Smruti Lipi’ (my memoirs of the jail) one of his famous works. He was awarded Orissa Sahitya Academy Award in and 1967 and conferred the Padmabhushan in 1968. He was a great social reformer who fought for the upliftment of the downtrodden.
Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab (1899─1987) was a great litterateur, historian and statesman. He was a pioneer of the movement for the integration of Indian states. He also founded the still popular Oriya daily Prajatantra.
Prativa Ray is rated as one of the most famous writers in Orissa today. She has been prolifically writing novels and short stories for the past 25 years. Shilapadma, Yagnaseni, Samudra ra Swara are some of her popular novels.
Assamese
Assamese, spoken across the Brahmaputra river valley, bears strong resemblance to Bengali, save some minor differences. The Charyapadas are often cited as the earliest example of Assamese literature. They are an anthology of Buddhist songs composed in the 8th -12th century period. The oldest Assamese writer on record, was probably Hema Saraswati, who composed the famous Prahlada Charita during the late 13th century AD. In the 14th century Madhava Kandali wrote a vernacular Ramayana. In the 15th century Durgavara’s Giti Ramayana, poems and songs from the Puranas by Pitambara and Manakara were conspicuous.
The Bhakti movement which spread all over the country during the 15th century, had made an impact in Assam too, under the aegis of the saint-poet Shankara Deva. The Bhakti movement emphasised upon simple worship. Lord Vishnu (or his incarnation Krishna) assumed his position as an embodiment of love. Shankara Deva wrote numerous devotional songs and compiled translations from the ancient Sanskrit texts. Rama Saraswati’s translation of the Mahabharata and Vadha Kavyas (stories from the Puranas) were also very popular.
The Ahoms (originally from Burma/Myanmar) who came to rule Assam and gradually settled here wrote chronicles of their regime and activities, known as Buranjis (1228 to 1824), a unique collection of prose. Around this time a mass of literary works on astrology, medicine, mathematics, music, dance et al (based on Sanskrit works) was also produced.
The late19th century witnessed a flood of literary activities. Dictionaries like Hema Chandra Barua’s Hema Kosha were written, and periodicals like Arunodaya Samvad Patra (1846) and Asam Bandhu (1885) were launched.
Anandaram Dhekial Phukan (1829─96) and Gunabhiram Barua (1837─95) were the two eminent literary figures of this period. Then came a new generation of novelists and poets like Rajanikanta Bardoloi (1867-1939), Hiteshwar Bezbarua (1871 ─1931), Padmanath Gohain Baruwa (1871-1946), Benudhar Raj Khowa (1872─1935) and Raghunath Chaudhari, whose works revolve around nationalism and social reforms.
Indira Goswami (a.k.a Mamani Raisam) (1942-) is one of the most brilliant contemporary Assamese writers. She is known for her fresh and original style with novel themes. Her short stories and novels, set in various parts of India, vividly portray the lives of common people, beyond the boundaries of Assam.
Goswami won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for her novel Mamare Dhara Tarwal. Her other popular works are Dontal Hatir Une Khowda Howda, Nilakanthi Braja, and Tej aru Dhulire Dhusarita Prshtha. In July 2001, Goswami was awarded the Jnanpith, India's highest literary award.
Her candid autobiography, Adhalekha Dastaveja, published in 1988 and its English translation, have won critical acclaim across the country.
