Born :- 01-Jun-1915
Died :- 06-Nov-1995
Place of Birth :- Jhanjirimangala, Cuttack

Humourist and satirical writer Phaturananda, (Real name Ramachandra Mishra) was born to Bidyadhar Mishra and Subhadra Mishra on 1 June, 1915 in Jhanjirimangala of Cuttack city.

Phaturananda is well known for his distinctly unique and original style of writing. He uses simple and colloquial language with a natural flow. All his writings were satires on socio-political reality and prevailing cynicism.

Phaturananda had memory problem in his childhood days. He could not remember dates of historic events. As a result, he was almost always caned by the teachers. He only remembered that World War I started in 1914 and he was born a year later in 1915. He narrates this in a humorous style in his autobiography ‘Mo Phuta Dangara Kahani’ (The Story of My Cracked Boat): Seeing the world war, God said to him, "Why do you loaf away time here grinning all the while?  Go to earth and see how a nice war has broken out." He spent his early life amidst struggles which is the core of his autobiography. 

While studying medicine at the Cuttack Medical School, he became ill. His ailment was so acute that he lost his eyesight in a few years. But he completed his medical course and got his LMP in 1936.

Unmarried, Phaturananda dedicated his whole life to creation of humorous and satirical literature. He was a prolific writer and has authored over 30 books including stories, lyrics, poems, plays, a novel and an autobiography.

 He was the founder of the ‘Sarasa Sahitya Samiti’. He also founded the ‘Kantakabi Award’ in the name of Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra.

According to the author, the stories he wrote initially were of tragic nature. After publishing ‘Dagara’, the famous monthly literary magazine, he noticed the comic and humorous stories contributed by writers. They had more or less the same plot. For example: Romance between a college boy and a college girl. Both decide to get married, but face obstacles just before the marriage happens. Finally, their romance ends! After seeing the same situation in all these published stories, he decided to never include romance in his humour and satire. He followed this principle till the end.

His works include: Mo Phuta Dangara Kahani, (Autobiography), Nakata Chitrakar (Novel), Sahi Mahabharata (Lyrical Poem), Heresa, Sahitya Chasa, Bidushaka, Mangalabaria Sahitya Sansada, Hasakura, Bruhat Bhanda, Amruta Behia,  Vote, Gamat, Nidabehel, Sahitya Beushana, Nabajia, Thatalibaj, Sahitya Bachhabachhi, Maskara, Tahulia, Tapuria, Muchukundia, Khilikhilia and Odishara Spin Bowler (Story collections), Nilatha Kabi (Poetry), Kalikati Chenka (Play), Ajagabi Sikara, Nalura Chandra Yatra (Children's Literature), Adarsha Hindu Hotel by Bibhutibhushana Chattopadyaya and Bharatara Shrestha Hasyagalpa by Mujtaba Hossein (Translations), besides Famalochana and Phaturanandanka Dusprapya Rachana, 1999.

The organisations that awarded and felicitated Phaturananda were: Orissa Sahitya Academy (Award), Sarala Puraskar(Award), Bhubaneswar, Jadumani Sahitya Sansada, Nayagada, Nagarika Sambardhana, Rourkela, Radhanatha Pathagara, Sora, Sarala Sahitya Sansada, Cuttack and Utkal Pathaka Sansada, Cuttack. 

Short Stories Collection