Cuttack, March 10: Noted Odia poet Pratibha Satpathy received the prestigious Sahitya Bharati Samman 2013 for excellence in Odia literature.

The award, instituted by the Gangadhar Rath Foundation in 1995, included a cash award of Rs 1 lakh and a silver emblem of the Sun Temple.

Chief guest of the occasion, eminent Odia litterateur Ramakanta Rath gave away the award at an event held at Kala Vikash Kendra here last evening.

Satpathy was awarded the Sahitya Bharati Samman for her contribution to Odia literature for over four decades. She has carved a niche in Odia literature with her poetry collections and literary criticism, said Jayant Rath, Foundation Trustee.

Her poetry collections include Kahi Nahele, Adha Adha Nakshyatra, Sahada Sundari, Asta Janhara Elegy, Grasta Samaya, Nimishe Akshara, Mahamegha, Tanmaya Dhuli, Ama Kabita and Mahamegha.

Pratibha Satpathy is known for expressing deep human sensibilities and exploring the mystery of human relationships through her poetry.

The foundation also gave away the Bhanujee Rao Smaraki Puraskar of Rs 25,000 to poet Sarojini Sarangi and the Binapani Mohanty Katha Sahitya Purashkar of Rs 25,000 to writer Debraj Lenka.

The Subrata Rath Smaraki Puraskar of Rs 10,000 was given to Shaktiprava Mishra and Pitambar Tarai.

In memory of the founder, the Gangadhar Rath Smaraki Samman, which was introduced in 2009, was given to lawyer Ashok Mukherjee.