A one-day discussion circle on Bhakti Literature was organised today at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) through the joint efforts of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Odia Chair of BHU and the Baranaseya Utkal Samaj.
BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his address, he highlighted the profound social and spiritual awakening ushered in by Bhakti literature, noting that its influence has been far-reaching across religious and literary spheres. He remarked that knowledge, love, devotion, and compassion form the essence of Bhakti literature, with spiritual consciousness at its core.
Odisha Sahitya Akademi Secretary Dr Chandra Shekhar Hota emphasised that among the four paths to attaining the divine described in Hindu tradition, the path of devotion remains the most widely embraced. He observed that, unlike the paths of karma, knowledge or yoga, the bhakti tradition connects deeply with the masses. Dr Hota also elaborated on the philosophical orientation and literary significance of Bhakti literature.
The discussion featured in-depth deliberations on two central themes, “Panchasakha and Sri Chaitanya” and “The Bhakti Movement and the Odia Bhagavata.”
Prof. Gopabandhu Mishra, Coordinator of the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Odia Chair, Dr Prafulla Kumar Mishra, Jagannath Culture Researcher, Prof. Balaraj Pandey of BHU, Noted litterateur Prof. Rabindra Nath Mishra, Prof. Bauri Bandhu Sahu, Dr Babaji Charan Pattanaik, Prof. Om Prakash Singh of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Sanjay Kumar Chhuansingh, Joint Secretary of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, participated.
