ଉମାଶଙ୍କର ପଣ୍ଡାଙ୍କ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ସାହିତ୍ୟଜଗତକୁ ତାଙ୍କର ଜୀବନବ୍ୟାପି ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଏକାଡ଼େମୀ ୨୦୦୪ ମସିହାରେ ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଅତିବଡ଼ୀ ସମ୍ମାନରେ ସମ୍ମାନିତ କରିଥିଲା । ଏତଦ୍]ବ୍ୟତୀତ ସେ ବିଷୁବ ସମ୍ମାନ, ଝଙ୍କାର କାବ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମାନ, ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର ପୁସ୍ତକମେଳା ସମ୍ମାନ, ସାରଳା ସମ୍ମାନ, ଫକୀର ମୋହନ ଗଳ୍ପ ସମ୍ମାନ, ଅଖିଳ ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକ ବିଶେଷ କବି ସମ୍ମାନ, କବିତାୟନ କବି ସମ୍ମାନ, ଧରିତ୍ରୀ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମାନ ଆଦି ପଚାଶରୁ ଊର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ୱ ସମ୍ମାନରେ ସମ୍ମାନିତ ।

ସେ ୬୭ଟି ବେତାର ନାଟକ, ପଚାଶରୁ ଊର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ୱ ବେତାର ସଂଗୀତ ରୂପକ ଓ ଅନେକ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ତଥା ସମ୍ବଲପୁରୀ ଗୀତିକବିତାର ସ୍ରଷ୍ଟା । ତାଙ୍କ ରଚିତ ସମ୍ବଲପୁରୀ ସଂଗୀତ ରୂପକ ‘ଗାଆଁକେ ଯିମା ଚାଲ’ ସର୍ବଭାରତୀୟ ସ୍ତରରେ ଭାରତ ସରକାରଙ୍କର ସୂଚନା ଓ ପ୍ରସାରଣ ମନ୍ତ୍ରାଳୟ ଦ୍ୱାରା ୨୦୦୦ ବର୍ଷରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବିବେଚିତ ହୋଇ ପ୍ରଥମ ପୁରସ୍କାର ଲାଭ କରିଥିଲା ।

‘ନିଶବ୍ଦ ନୂପୁର’ହେଉଛି କବି ଉମାଶଙ୍କର ପଣ୍ଡାଙ୍କର ପଞ୍ଚମ କବିତା ସଂକଳନ, ଯାହାକି ୧୯୮୪ ମସିହାର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଏକାଡେମୀ ପୁରସ୍କାର ପାଇଥିଲା ।

The palpable transformations across the global arena in the aftermath of the cyber revolution and information technology explosion caused serious concern among aficionados of literature about its future. But their apprehensions appeared to be unfounded when literature withstood the onslaughts and emerged unruffled, being ensconced on a firm saddle. Literature, with its diverse genres, entertains and enlightens readers with new insights and perspectives on life, releasing them from the labyrinth of cares and anxieties, and infusing in them resilience and enthusiasm.

A creative writer observes the situations with his organic sensibility and shares his emotions and feelings passionately through objective correlatives. The writer, by the alembic of his imagination, creates an oasis in the desert of life, paints a rainbow amid the stormy tumult of society. The writer’s alchemy of creativity with the wizardry of images enthrals the readers, keeping them in a mesmerizing spell.

Against this backdrop, it is seen that translation occupies a paramount position in promoting literature on an international platform with a wider clientele. The poetry collection in Odia, “Kebala Premare” of the renowned Neo Romantic poet Dr Phani Mohanty, is translated into English as “Only in Love” by Dr Sonali Sahu. Dr Sahu has done a wonderful job in making an impeccable transfer of feelings, emotions, and thoughts of the veteran poet Dr Mohanty from the source language to the target language. I am sure she must have come across problems in finding substitutes for certain emotions, colloquial expressions, yet she has managed to overcome them by presenting the tone, tenor, and essence of feelings. Poetry in Indian languages contains certain features, such as verbal imageries, local myths, inflections, and colloquialisms, that prove to be a translator’s nightmare. Dr Sahu, with her maturity, expertise, and command over both languages, has successfully overcome the situation.

The veteran poet Dr Mohanty meticulously adheres to the poetic diction suggested by Wordsworth, always using ordinary, common, simple, and colloquial language really used by men in their day-to-day lives, for which he is widely hailed by the readers as a Neo-Romantic poet. Dr Mohanty’s poetic career spanning across five decades with more than six dozen poetry collections, numerous awards and accolades like Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Kendriya Sahitya Akademi have endeared him to the charmed circle of hordes of readers for his unique theme of love, longing, regret, passion, despair, and positive affirmation depicted with simple diction, colloquial language, and lucid expression flowing uninterruptedly from a weary heart stirred with the subtle nuances and vagaries of love.

In this Collection of poems, “Only in Love,” Dr Mohanty treats the concept of love as a pilgrimage of the human soul, an endless journey from the known to the unknown, from the physical to the metaphysical, from the real to the surreal, from the terrestrial to the ethereal, from the amorous to the philosophical and from the trivial to the sublime dimensions. The emotions, feelings, and passions in colloquial idioms unwaveringly flow like a stream where the heart understands perfectly, long before the mind attempts to decode it.

— Kamala Prasad Mahapatra