Born :- 01-Feb-1907
Died :- 23-Oct-1943
Place of Birth :- Biswanathpur, Puri

Writer of the ‘Shikar’ fame, founder and first secretary of the Communist Party of India in Odisha and brother of reputed poet and novelist Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi was born in village Bitwanathpur under Balipatana of the undivided Puridistrict. He was the youngest of the three sons born to Swapneswar Panigrahi.

After completing his primary education at the Puri District School and Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya, Bhagabati did his graduation in Economic Honours at the Ravenshaw College and post-graduation under Patna University in the same subject. He also had his Law education at the Ravenshaw later. 

He was a close associate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. 

Bhagabati Charan, in his short literary career, wrote around 12 short stories. One of his notable short stories was ‘Shikaar’. The story captured the life of the tribal communities of Odisha, and the exploitation by ‘sahukars’ and the British. The story was made into a film—Mrigayaa in 1976 by the illustrious cine-producer and director Mrinal Sen. In 2016, an Odia language play was also written and staged based on the same story. The other stories by Bhagabati are: ‘Mimansha’, ‘Junglee’, ‘Arambha’, ‘Oh Sesha’, ‘Mrutyura Chetana’, ‘Jeevanarah Samadhi’, ‘Banchita’, ‘Samayatita’, ‘Jhada’, ‘Misranka Kopa’ and ‘Majlish’.

 

 In November 1935, in collaboration with Ananta Patnaik and others, he formed a literary organisation ‘Nabayuga Sahitya Samsad’ (New Age Literary Society). Very soon it became famous and played significant role in fostering new ideas in modern Odia literature. In 1936, he edited a magazine called Adhunika.

 

Bhagabati, in his youth and in the beginning of his political career, was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's political ideology. Later he became associated with Congress Socialist Party. He, along with Guru Charan Pattnayak and Prananath Patnaik, formed the Communist Party of India, Odisha branch on 1 April, 1936. Bhagabati was the first state secretary of the party. He was associated with the party and the communist ideology till his death.

 On 23 October, 1943, Bhagabati was found dead under mysterious circumstances inside jail where he was under detention by the British. The death certificate reported he died because of unknown illness, but there were speculations that he was tortured to death.

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