Adieu, Storyteller Extraordinaire! Tribute To Jewel Manoj Das

Though I had read a few stories written by Manoj Das as part of the curriculum in high school, my lifelong affair with the legendary storyteller started in right earnest…

Padma-Shri-Manoj-Das-Odisha

Though I had read a few stories written by Manoj Das as part of the curriculum in high school, my lifelong affair with the legendary storyteller started in right earnest only in university when I chanced upon “Manoj Dasanka Katha O Kahani”, a collection of 54 stories written by him. It had some of the finest stories penned by the writer, including some of his earliest stories like “Lakshmira Abhisara” and “Samudrara Kshyudha”.

It has been my habit since childhood not to stop till I reach the end when I start reading a book. I remember finishing “Tama Kakanka Kutira”, the voluminous Odia translation of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” authored by eminent American writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, in just a day and half while I was a student of Class VII. But for reasons that I cannot really put my finger on, I simply could not do the same when I started reading “Manoj Dasanka Katha O Kahani”. I could read no more than two stories a day because each one transported me into another world and left me with plenty to think about. There were days when I could not go beyond one story – “Lakshmira Abhisara” and “Aranyaka” were among such stories – because it had such a profound impact on me that I just could not take my mind off it. I soon realized that Manoj Das’ stories were to be savoured – sip by sip, like high-quality whiskey – and not gulped down in one go – like country liquor – to get its essence. I must confess I went into a state of trance every time I started reading a story from the collection. It was almost a spiritual experience!