Bhubaneswar:2/2/20: Eminent Odia poet and former Kendriya Sahitya Akademi president Dr Ramakant Rath today underscored the need for laying emphasis on the timeless literary works rather than restricting to the contemporary literature.

“Generally, we judge the literature in contemporary terms. Rather, we should lay focus on timeless literary works”, said Dr Rath while speaking at the valedictory function of the first SOA Literary Festival here today evening.

The valedictory function was also addressed by eminent litterateur and social anthropologist Padmabhusan Sitakanta Mohapatra, who spoke  on the Odia literary tradition.

Popular Odia novelist Dr Bibhuti Patnaik said Odia culture is a mixture of Aryan and Dravidian civilizations. The presiding deity of Odias Lord Jagannath is a tribal God and Odia literature is based on Jagannath cult, which is an amalgamation of all religions and cultures. Followers of Jagannath cult are guided by the universal consciousness.

Vice Chancellor of SOA Univdersity Prof  RK Chauhan said the two-day literary fiesta was indeed a reflection of Mini India as it had participation from almost all the states across India.

A galaxy of around 100 eminent litterateurs from different parts of the country congregated on a single platform at the first SOA Literary Festival to discuss the contemporary trends in Indian literature that concluded today.