Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra was born in Talpada village under the Tihidi block of modern Bhadrak district. Born to parents Bhagwat Prasad Samantaraya and Radhamani, laxmikanta, in his youth and later life, glorified the ancient, sacred land, Odisha with his role as a freedom fighter and a multi-genre literary figure. Besides being a freedom fighter, he was also a poet, a fiction writer and a satirist.

His name was Laxmikant because of his birth on the day of Lakshmi Puja. After graduating from Ravenshaw College, he was imprisoned by the British government for his patriotism. His patriotic poems were instrumental in uniting freedom fighters. His patriotic song, Bande Utkal Janani, which sings the glory of Odisha in extremely simple, lucid, rhythmic and lyrical language, ignited the spirit of patriotism in the people to of Odisha who were drawn to the mainstream of freedom struggle. This song has now been accepted as the national song of Odisha. Such simplicity, lucidity, rhythmic and extremely lyrical style of verses that immediately made a thrilling and captivating impact on the singer and the listener, earned him the title Kaantakabi.

The entire family of the poet took active part in the Inchudi Salt Satyagraha. His song Aryabahini also set a unique example of patriotism. Over time, all his patriotic poems were published in Kant Sahityayan volumes 1 and 2. He is best known in Odisha for his incomplete novels Kanamamu and short story Budha Shankhari. He wrote satirical plays like Dimbakresi Sabha, Hanumanta Bastraharan and Samasya about political instability. He wrote the satirical play Filmstar about scandals in the field of Art.

Poetry

Poem

Anthology of Lyrics Collection

Plays

Autobiography

One act Play

Audio story