Bidyut Prabha Devi facts for kids

Bidyut Prabha Devi (born July 12, 1926 – died January 28, 1977) was a famous poet from India. She wrote in the Odia language. Many people consider her one of the best female poets in Odia literature.

Her Early Life and Family

Bidyut Prabha was born on July 12, 1926. This happened in a small village called Jhinkadi. It was in the Cuttack district. She was the second daughter of Nimai Charan Das and Rekha Devi. Her father, Nimai Charan Das, was also a writer.

Her parents were quite traditional. They lived in Bamphisahi in Cuttack city. Bidyut Prabha had one brother and two sisters. Her younger sister, Punya Prabha Devi, also became a writer.

How She Started Writing

Bidyut Prabha began writing poems when she was young. Her father, Nimai Charan Das, was a big inspiration. As a child, she learned about many important Odia poets. This helped her develop her own writing style.

On July 4, 1949, she married Panchanan Mohanty. He worked for the government in Orissa. Later in her life, around 1966, she became more interested in spiritual ideas. She moved to a special place called Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Bidyut Prabha Devi passed away on January 28, 1977.

Her Amazing Works

Bidyut Prabha started writing poems in 1940. Her poems were soon published in different literary magazines. Her older sister, Basanti, had also written some poems.

In 1944, she published her first collection of poems. It was called Sabita. Most of the poems in this book were patriotic. They celebrated the beauty and greatness of the land of Orissa.

Themes in Her Poetry

Even though Bidyut Prabha studied in the city, her poems often showed memories of her childhood in the countryside. Two Odia poets, Nanda Kishore Bal and Kunja Bihari Das, greatly influenced her. Her poems often talked about the challenges women faced in older, traditional societies.

Besides poems, she also wrote plays. She even wrote some books for children! All of her poems were collected and published in 1957. This complete collection was named Bidyutprabha Sanchayan.

Collections of Her Poems

Here are some of the poetry books Bidyut Prabha Devi published:

• Sabita (1947)
• Utkal Saraswata Prativa (1947)
• Kanakanjali (1948)
• Marichika (1948)
• Bihayasi (1949)
• Bandenika (1950)
• Swapnadeep (1951)
• Jhara Siuli (1957)
• Jahaku Jie (1957)

Awards and Recognition

In 1950, Bidyut Prabha's book Utkal Saraswata was chosen as a poetry textbook. Utkal University decided it should be used for high school students. This shows how important her work was.

Bidyutprabha Devi is known as one of the most important female poets in Odia literature. Her collection of poems, Bidyutprabha Sanchayana, won a big award. She received the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award in 1962 for this work.