About the Author

Dr. Chandrasekhar Hota is a distinguished contemporary Odia writer, essayist, literary critic, translator and public servant who has made a significant contribution to modern Odia literature. He was born on 1 July 1985 in Balangir, Odisha. He holds a Master's degree in Political Science and a Doctorate from Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur. Professionally, he serves as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Odisha and has successfully combined his responsibilities in public service with a deep and enduring engagement with literature. In February 2025, he was appointed Secretary of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and was also entrusted with the additional charge of the Odisha Sangeeta Nataka Akademi. He has contributed extensively to prominent Odia newspapers and periodicals, including Samaj, Sambad and Prameya, through columns, essays and literary writings. He is also associated with the editorial board of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi's literary magazine Konark. His literary expression is marked by intellectual depth, analytical insight and a sensitive understanding of human life and society. His writings explore literature, culture, philosophy, social consciousness and the relationship between individual experience and the wider world. His important works include Kalpana, Anubhaba O Sahitya, Chetanara Anweshana, Odia Kabitare Gandhi / Gandhi Kavita and Astha Suryara Sakala o Anya Galpa Guccha. His critical essay collection Chetanara Anweshana brought him the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2020, establishing his position among the distinguished young writers of Odia literature. His contribution extends beyond creative writing into literary criticism, translation, editing and the promotion of Odia literary culture. Through his scholarship, public service and literary activities, he has emerged as an important contemporary figure in Odisha's intellectual and cultural sphere.

Major Creations

Dr. Chandrasekhar Hota's major literary works include Kalpana, Anubhaba O Sahitya, an essay collection dealing with imagination, experience and literature, and Chetanara Anweshana, a critical essay collection that explores literary, philosophical and humanistic themes. He has also edited Odia Kabitare Gandhi / Gandhi Kavita, a collection centred on Mahatma Gandhi in Odia poetry, and translated Astha Suryara Sakala o Anya Galpa Guccha, bringing selected short stories into Odia. His writings demonstrate a combination of critical thought, literary sensitivity and broad cultural awareness.

Awards and Honours

Dr. Chandrasekhar Hota received the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2020 for Chetanara Anweshana. He has also received several literary and cultural recognitions, including the Gokarnika Essay Award, Saraswata Samman, Mahuri Samman, Akhila Jagannath Das Samman, Krushnendu Smruti Samman, Shri Shri Nigamananda Seva Samman, Brahmapur Pustak Mela Prabandha Samman, Bana Surabhi Samman and Swatantra Saraswat Samman. His appointment as Secretary of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi in 2025 further reflects his standing and contribution to the literary and cultural institutions of Odisha.