Berhampur: Koyamparambath Satchidanandan, a pioneer of modern poetry in Malayalam and English, received the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for Literature and Arts, instituted by the Berhampur University on Tuesday.

The award was presented on the 52nd foundation day celebrations of the university, which was established on January 2, 1967, and its campus was named Bhanja Vihar to perpetuate the memory of Upendra Bhanja, one of the most eminent poets of Odisha. Though born in a royal family, Bhanja had devoted his entire life to literature.

"A scholar and critic, Satchidanandan, is one of India's very few poets, who write with matching felicity in more than one language. He weaves an extraordinary world of poetic imagination with ingredients that include strong political conviction, a wide-ranging intimacy with global literature and art, a deep-rootedness in philosophy and unshakeable moorings in his personal context of language, society and humanism," said the varsity's English professor Ram Narayan Panda.

While receiving the award, Satchidanandan said: " #Without the contribution of Bhanja, the Odia language could not have reached the height it has reached now."

Nalco chairman-cum-managing director Tapan Kumar Chand, who addressed the meeting as the chief guest,said: "The global economy is picking up and we must take this opportunity for an economic boom," he said.