Santanu Kumar Acharya

Santanu Kumar Acharya ( 1933)born in Calcutta, hails from the famous village Siddheswar Pur of Cuttack District, Orissa,in the family of Late Ray Bahdur Gopal Chandra Praharaj, Kaizar-i-Hind, the creator of the celebrated 4-language Odiya ( Oriya) Encyclopedia. His maternal grand father Kulamani Mishra was a military engineer who fought the World War I, in the then Mesopatamia(Iraq) and was a POW of the Bedouins. He, after the war was reemployed as an Engineer of the Calcutta Corporation. He was both a scientist and a sage whose psychological traits are inherited by child Santanu. Santanu's father Ananta Charan Acharya was a renowned school teacher in Orissa. Early in life the boy Santanu lost his mother Krishnapriya and turned to nature and poetry. Later he developed taste for empirical science studies in Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack, Orissa,and then pursued higher education in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, to obtain a post graduate degree in Chemistry from Utkal University,1956.
He served the Government of Orissa as a college teacher for 34 years from 1958 to 1992 when he retired as the Registrar of Utkal University, Odissa, in the rank of UGC Professor and senior academician and administrative officer .

Between 1958 and till now he has published 15 full length novels.20 volumes of short story collections, 10 books of Children's Literature apart from many more books on general literature. His very first novel, Nara-Kinnara (Man and the Subhumans)1962, was awarded the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award. This innovative path breaking novel of the post independence age of the creative modern literature is cited often as the earliest bird-song heard at the day break of the modern Indian existential school of writing.

He was awarded the Sahitya Akademy Award ( The Indian National Academy of Letters, New Delhi) for his Short Story Book, "Chalanti Thakura" ( God that responds) in 1993. Earlier he was awarded the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award for his most renowned path breaking novel
" Nara-Kinnara" ( Man and the Subhumans), 1962, in the year 1970. His magnum opus
" Shakuntala" (1980), a classic modern socio-political novel dealing with Naxalite violence in the late sixties and seventies in India was awarded country's most prestigious literary award Sarala Prize as offered by the IMFA Industrial Foundation for recognition of contribution to literauture and culture , in 1987. He also received Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award ( Kolkata) in 1994, "Sahitya Bharati Prize and award from the prestigious Gangadhar Rath Foundation", Cuttack, Orissa, 2003,for his life-long literary contribution particularly in the field of fiction writing, "Katha Literary Prize " from Katha Foundation, New Delhi,for his novel "Anoma's Daughter " in 2003 and many more literary awards from different Government and Non- Government foundations for Literature and Culture in the country and abroad. He was awarded twice, in 1961 and 1963, Government India's Children's Literature Award for best literature for children.
He was decorated with the most covetable Honour, " Atibadi Jagannath Das Literary Award", named after the famous Indian saint-poet Jagannath Das of 16th Cent AD, who recreated the famous Srimad Bhagavata, in Odia.

Many of his stories and novels have been translated into English, Russian, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kamnad, Malayalam, Telugu and other Indian languages.
Main Publications:
Novels:
1.Nara-Kinnara( The Man and the Sub Humans) First Publ:1962 Last publ:2006 Publisher: Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
2.Shatabdira Nachiketa ( The Nachiketas of the Century) 1965, Publ:GranthaMandira,Cuttack-2Odisha,India.
3.Tinoti Ratira Sakala ( The mornings of three dark nights), 1969
Publ:Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
4.Dakshinabarta( The turning point ), 1973, Publ: Cuttack Students' Store !Balu Bazar, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
5.Jatrara Prathama Pada ( The First Leg of the Journey) 1976,Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
6.Anya Eka Sakaala Anya Eka Bharat( It is another morning and it is another India), 1977, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
7. Shakuntala( a novel on the dreaded Naxalite movements during the late sixtiew and seventies of the last century),1980, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, India.
8.Mantrinka Share ( The Minister's Share), 1988, First Published by Eastern Media, Bhubaneswar. Later re published by Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odissa, India
9.Dharitrira Kanda( The Weeping Earth),1994, Granthalaya, Unit II, Bhubaneswar, Odisha,India.
10.Anu Hajijibapare( After Anu Got Lost), 1996,Vidya Puri, Cuttack-2, Odissa, India
11.Adrushya Jagataru Barta ( Messeges from the Unknown Worlds), 1996, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
12.Billy Goat Banam Uruvela Ghotak ( The man named Billy Goat alias The Laughung Horse of the Uruvela Forest where Goutama Buddha received Enlihtenment) 1997, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odissa, India.
13. Swarna Tribhuja, ( The Golden Triangle comprising A collection of the above three novels listed above agaist sl.nos 8,11,12,),1998, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
14. Trishna: Eka Anaviskrita America( The girl named Trishna and her world : The Undiscovered America) ,1999 , Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
15. Anomara Kanya ( The daughter Of Anoma or the River Maha Nadi), 2002, Kadambini Publications, Bhubaneswar.
16.Autobiography: Mo Jeevan : Anya Eka Upanyasa ( My Life: It is another Novel) ( 2013, Grantha Manmdira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India)
Short Story Books of the author:
1.Mana Murmur( The murmurring Mind), 1962, Cuttack Students'Store,Cuttack 2, Odisha, India
2. Durbaara ( The Incorrigible) 1965, This is the story of a Rat named Corruption in Indian parlance, Publ: Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2m Odissa, India
3.Eii Shesha Padati ( This last utterance),1972, Cuttack Students' Store, Cuttack-2, Odisha.
4.Aranyara Chula( The Tip of The Forest),1974, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
5Adina Boula ( Mango blossoms out of season)1978, Grantha Manira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
6.Ekabinsha Satabdi Paain Galpa( Stories for the Twenty First Century) 1978, Mayur Publ., Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
7.Karanjia Diary( The real life adventures and obsevations of the author in Karanjia, a Tribal sub divison of Mayurbhanj District of Odissa) 1984, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
8. Aadya Sakaala ( The first dawn ), 1985, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odissa, India.
9.Sarpa Jaana ( The Snake Vehicle) 1984, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odissa, India.
10.Chalanti Thaakura( God who Responds), 1991, Academy Award winning book, 1993, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha,
11.Nataliyara Omkar ( The OM utterance of Nataliya the forest Nymph) 1995, Arya Prakashan, Link Road, Cuttack.
12.Galpa Varnali( The Spectrum of Stories) 1997, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha ,India.
13. Shreshtha Galpa ( A collection of some of the Best Short Stories of the Author) ,1998, Granthalaya, MarketBuilding, Unit-II, Bhubaneswar, Odissa, India.
14. Jala Chhabira Raati ( A Night of Water Colors), 1999, Bolangir Students' Store, Bolangir, Odisha, India.
15.Drushya- Adrushya ( The visible and the invisible), 2002, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
16. Chhaya Purusha ( The Shadow of God), 2005, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
17.Record Breaker ( The boy who broke the High School Exam Record of all times yet denies
himself publicly and Why?) 2006, Prachi Sahitya Prakashan, Cuttack-2, Odissa.
18.Trutiya Netra ( The Third Eye),2007, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
19.Santanu Acharya's Galpa Samagra ( Harvesting Fifty Years' crop of short stories of the writer in sevearal volumes) Vol 1, 2009, Grantha Mandira, Cuttack-2, Odisha.
20.Santanu Acharya's Galpa Samagra Vol 2 2011, Grantha Mandira, cuttack-2, Odisha
21.Peeta Prastara Udyana ( A captivating travelogue cum novel, on visit to the Yellow Stone National Park, USA), 2010, M/s Apurva Publications, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
22.Kala Pardara Aarapate( Behind the Black Veil ), Collection of 12 new short stories of the author, Publ by Prachi Sahitya Pratisthana, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha)
23.Santanu Acharya-nka Smaraniya Galpa,( Twenty Selected Short Stories of the Author,) Publ by Nabadiganta, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha

Autobiography: Mo Jeevan Anya Eka Upanyasa ( 2013)( My Life : It is another Novel) 788 pages, Published by M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack -2,, Odisha.

Travelogue : Baichitryamaya Desha : America Bhraman ( 2015) ( The Mysterious Country: My America Visits), 525 pages covering five times study tour of America between 1993 and 2008. Published by M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack -2, Odisha.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE:
He has published ten science fictions for the Children. Two of them, as listed below, have been awarded National Prizes for best Children's Literature ,by Govt. of India, Ministry of Edn.
1. Mo Katha Ghoda Katha Kahe ( My wooden Horse speaks ), 1961, M/s.Cuttack Students' Store, Balubazaar, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
2. Baga Bagichara Soudagara ( The hidden merchants of our gardens), 1962, M/s Cuttack Students' Store,Balubazaar,Cuttack-2, Odisha,India
3. Akashaku Satotoi Pahacha, ( Seven Steps to Heavens) On Astronaught Training and its psycho-physical parameters required for a young aspirant, 1963, M/s Friends' Publishers, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India.
4. Shaktira Karamati ( ( The wonderful world of machines), 1971, M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2,Odisha, India
5. Koshi Upatyakara Rajkumar Mohan( Adaptation of Jim Corbet's Tiger hunting story ' The Mohan Man Eater)1964, M/s Friends' Publishers, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
6. Mo Naa Da Vinchi O Nialaga Opi ( My name is Da Vinchi and The Incendiary 'Opi' : Two Biographical sketches of the Renaissance Artist Leonardo da Vinchi and Robert Oppenheimer, the maker of the first Atomic bomb),1980, Publ: M/s Agraduta, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
7. Nitidiniia Jibanare Bigyana ( Science in Everyday Life), 1989, M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2,Odisha, India
8. Baigyanika Abishkara O Udvabana ( Some Important Scientific Discoveries and Inventions) 1989, M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha
9. Dine Aakasha Vi Nathila ( There was a Time when there was no Sky), 2001,M/s Grantha Mandira, Binode Bihari, Cuttack-2, Odisha, India
10. Peeta Prastara Udyana ( Yellow Stone National Park)-A trvelogue, M/s Agni Publishers, 1046-D, Chandi Mata Colony, Rasulgarh, Bhunaneswar-751010, Odisha

Some Translated works of the Author:
English:

1. Shakuntala,2014, Translated into English from author's original novel in Odia titled" Shakuntala" -A socio political Novel dealing with political extremism by Naxals, under Marxist ideological identity in India in the Post- Independence ethos.
   Publisher: BirdNest( An imprint of Pakshighara Prakashanee),Plot No 271, Gouri Nagar, Bhubaneswar-14, Odisha, India
   
2. Anoma's Daughter,2007,Translated into English from author's original novel " Anomara Kanya".Publ,( A story of rare archaeological findings related to new location of Goutama Buddha'a Real Birth Place near modern Bhubaneswar, Odissa),Publ: Katha Publicatons, A3, Savodya Enclave, Sri Aurobindo Marga, New Delhi-17
   3.Title of the book: Santanu Kumar Acharya
   (This is an anthology of three original short stories of the author, translated by Paul St.Pirre and Leelavati and K.K.Mohapatra in one book), 2004, Grass Roots, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.
   
3. Minister's Share,( 2015) Short novel, translated by Manu Dash from author's original Odia novel" Mantrinka Share". Publ: e-book, Kindle Edition, Amazon.in

Hindi :

(1).Shakuntala ( Translated from author's original Odia novel of same title, a novel based on the dreaded Naxal Movements in India in the late sixties and seventies of the last century)1997, Published by M/s Radhakrishna Publishers( Rajkamal), Dariya Ganj, Delhi-2
2). Dakshinavarta, Translated from author's origial novel in Odia: Dakshinavarta ( The story of an ex-military personnel courtmashalled for his disbilef in militarism and his new search for meaning of life), Translated by noted writer Dr. Srinivas Udgata from Odiya to Hindi), 2002, Atma Prakashani, Bolangir, Odissa, India.
(3)NARA KINNARA ( Man and Sub humans),translated from Original Novel in Odia language to Hindi, by Dr Shankarlal Purohit, published by M/s Vijaya Books,1/10753,Subhas Park, Lane No 3, Nabin Sahadra,Delhi-110032

Gujarati:
1. Dakshnavarta( from original Odiya novel to Gujarati), 1986, Dr. Renuka Sriram, Sarvodaya Nagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Bengali:
1.Chalanti Thakur ( Sahitya Academy Award Winning Short Story Book of the author, translated from Original Odia language to Bengali under the title "Chalanti Thakur"by Shyamasundar Mahapatra and Amitrasudan Bhattacharya, published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2016

Awards and Honours:
1.Sahitya Akademy Award 1993, New Delhi, for his short story book" Chalanti Thakura( 1991 publ)
2. Odisha Sahitya Akademy Award 1970 for the novel " Nara Kinnara" (1962 publ)
3 Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata's Konarka Puraskar 1994 for short story book " Chalanti Thakura"
4. Sarala Puraskar,1987, for novel " Shakuntala" ( 1980 publ) offered by IMPAcT ( IMFA), Bhubaneswar
5Ministry of Educatin, Govt.of India,Childrens' Literature Award for best Childrens' Lit of india twice in the years 1961 and 1963
6. Sahitya Bharati Samman and Literary Prize 2004, offered by Gangadhara Rath foundation, Cuttack for eminent contribution to Odiya Literature
7. Katha Award 2003 offerd by Katha Foundation, New Delhi, for the Novel " Anoma's Daughter" short fiction.
8. Vak Shree award, 2006,by Hindu Cultural Centre of North Alabama, USA,for promoting Indian Philosophy and Jagannath Dharma Internationally at Sarva Jana Mandira, Hintsville/
9. Prajna-Yoti Award 2006, by Jagannath Organization for Global Awareness ( JOGA)
Baltiomre-Washington DC, 2006 for his eminent contribution to Odiya Literature
Plus he has been felicitated by many more public and social literary and cultural foundations of the state and the country.
10.Atibadi Jagannath Das Award, the highest literary honour conferred on him by the Odisha Sahitya Akademy, at a special function held at Bhubaneswar, on 25 July 2014.

For fuller text of his Bio-data, Awards and Publications refernce is made to
http://JulieAcharyaRay.google pages.com