Bhubaneswar, 19th August 2026:The prestigious ‘Sarala Puraskar’, given annually by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) , the charitable arm of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), for the best literary achievement, will be presented this year to noted Odia poet, essayist, and former scientist at CSIR-IMMT, Dr Ashutosh Parida for his poetry collection ‘Bishwas De Pruthwi’, published by Prabha Publication in year 2024. The award ceremony will take place in Bhubaneswar on October 25, wherein the writer will be presented with a citation, copper plaque and award amount of Rupees Seven Lakhs.
Seven books that made it to the final round of judging were ‘Aparna Mohanty ka Payeen Kabita’ by Aparna Mohanty, ‘Dahana Pada Bama Pada’ by Padmaja Pal, ‘Bishwas dey Pruthi’ by Ashutosh Parida, ‘Sita’ by Archana Nayak, ‘Mayabarta’ by Bijay Nayak, ‘Mokhya Mudra’ by Prakash Mahapatra and ‘Kabi ka Naam Bedbyash’ by Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi. The selections for 2026 span a rich range of literary forms — poetry (Kabita), stories (Galpa), novels (Upanyasa), short stories (Khyudra Galpa), and drama (Natak) reflecting the diversity and depth of this year’s literary offerings.
The Book Shortlisting committee comprised of Dr Indira Dash, Mrs. Pratiksha Jena, Shri Amiya Bej, Shri Pradip Kumar Panda and Shri Abhay Nayak; while the esteemed panel of Jury comprised of Dr Sucheta Mishra, Dr Hrushikesh Mallick, Shri Sangram Jena, Mrs Swapna Mishra, Prof. Dr. Natabar Satapathy, Dr. Sarojini Sahoo and Shri Ajay Kumar Mohapatra.
Odishi Guru Sri Durga Charan Ranavir ![]()
Sculpture Sri Damodar Behera
Besides this, the ‘Ila-Bansidhar Panda Kala Samman’, given every year by IMPaCT for lifetime excellence in the field of art, has also been announced for the year 2026. Guru Durga Charan Ranbir Odissi Maestro, Padma Shri and Shri Damodar Behera, Sculptor & Art Educator will be conferred As part of the award, both will be given a citation, copper plaque with an amount of Rupees Two Lakhs Fifty Thousand each. The selection process involved esteemed judges, Guru Puspita Mishra. Dr Nazia Alam, Suramani Abhiram Nanda for the performing arts section, while Mrs Panchami Manoo Ukil, Mrs. Sangita Patnaik and Shri Veejayant Kumar Dash for the visual arts section.
The Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), founded by Mrs. Ila Panda and Dr. Bansidhar Panda in 1980, has been instrumental in promoting Odia literature and the state’s rich cultural heritage of art, music, and dance. IMPaCT also instituted the Ekalabya Puraskar in 1993, which has become one of the most prestigious sports awards in Odisha, drawing parallels with several national awards.
