Fakir Mohan Senapati was born in a Khandayat family in a small village
‘Malli Kashapur’ near Balasore town. His father died when he was at
the age of one year and five months only. His mother also died after
14 months of the death of his father. His grandmother brought him up.
He used to remain ill when he was an infant. His grandmother usually
took him to the fakirs. His name was originally Brajamohan. His
grandmother changed his name to Fakir as a dedication to the Fakirs
she used to take him. He
took up his education from Barabati School of Balasore passing as a
minor. Due to his poor financial condition he could not study further.
At the age of eighteen he worked as a teacher in the Brabati School
for a salary of Rs.2.50 per month. He also served in the collectorate
of Balasore as a clerk for a short period. He later took up as a
teacher in the Mission School of Balasore till1871. Besides being a
teacher he was also devoted towards gaining wisdom. He also took part
in the discussions of English, Sanskrit and Bengali literature and was
able to prove himself a pundit. During this period he was acquainted
with John Bims the then Collector of Balasore, also a pundit who used
to write comparative grammar of different Indian languages. He took
the help of Fakir Mohan to learn Oriya. John Bims getting well
acquainted with Fakir Mohan’s caliber insisted him to be the “Diwan”
of Nilagiri. He served as the Diwan of Nilagiri from 1871 to 1875 at a
monthly salary of Rs. 1, 000/- after which he served as “Diwan” at
various places of Orissa. He was Diwan at Damapada from 1876 to 1877,
at Dhenkanal from 1877 to 1883, at Daspalla from 1884 to 1886, at
Pallahada from 1886 to 1887, at Keonjhar from 1887 to 1892, at
Damapada for the second time from 1894 to 1896. He stayed at Cuttack
from 1896 to 1905 and was attached with various institutions of
literature. He spent his last time at Balasore till death. He was
married in the year 1856. He married for the second time in 1871 after
the death of his first wife. In the year 1877 there was sad demise of
his six-year-old son. He was blessed with a second son in1881. He lost
his wife in the year 1894 who died of diarrhea. His marital life was
not smooth and full of sorrows.
He established a press at Balasore in the year 1868 by the name “Utkal
Press”. He published various magazines from time to time in the name
of “Bodhadayini”, “Nabasambad” and “Sambad Bahika”. He was the
President of the annual conference of “Utkal Sahitya Samaj” held in
1912. He went to visit ‘Satyabadi School’ in1915 and was very much
impressed of the works of Gopabandhu. The annual conference of Utkal
Sahitya Samaj was held at Cuttack in March 1917 where he was the
‘President’. He gave birth to the modern Oriya literature. He wrote
many stories, novels and poetry. His autobiography was Orissa’s first
and foremost admirable self-character. He was the key creator of
modern Oriya short stories and novels. He was one of the main leads
among the other authors who wrote against the cruelty of British rule.
He revolted against the conspiracy to suppress the Oriya language,
which was going on at the time. Due to his steps for the establishment
of Oriya press, publishing of Oriya books, newspaper and literature
magazine, Oriya language could survive which would otherwise have been
a history forever. His literature consisted completely of pure Oriya
and melodrama, his unscathed image in the society and his
revolutionary social ideology. He was an eminent laureate, writer,
poet, editor, critic and administrator. He is remembered as “Vyasa
Kabi”. His contribution to Oriya language and literature is
unforgettable.
Fakir Mohan Senapati was born in a Khandayat family in a small village
‘Malli Kashapur’ near Balasore town. His father died when he was at
the age of one year and five months only. His mother also died after
14 months of the death of his father. His grandmother brought him up.
He used to remain ill when he was an infant. His grandmother usually
took him to the fakirs. His name was originally Brajamohan. His
grandmother changed his name to Fakir as a dedication to the Fakirs
she used to take him. He
took up his education from Barabati School of Balasore passing as a
minor. Due to his poor financial condition he could not study further.
At the age of eighteen he worked as a teacher in the Brabati School
for a salary of Rs.2.50 per month. He also served in the collectorate
of Balasore as a clerk for a short period. He later took up as a
teacher in the Mission School of Balasore till1871. Besides being a
teacher he was also devoted towards gaining wisdom. He also took part
in the discussions of English, Sanskrit and Bengali literature and was
able to prove himself a pundit. During this period he was acquainted
with John Bims the then Collector of Balasore, also a pundit who used
to write comparative grammar of different Indian languages. He took
the help of Fakir Mohan to learn Oriya. John Bims getting well
acquainted with Fakir Mohan’s caliber insisted him to be the “Diwan”
of Nilagiri. He served as the Diwan of Nilagiri from 1871 to 1875 at a
monthly salary of Rs. 1, 000/- after which he served as “Diwan” at
various places of Orissa. He was Diwan at Damapada from 1876 to 1877,
at Dhenkanal from 1877 to 1883, at Daspalla from 1884 to 1886, at
Pallahada from 1886 to 1887, at Keonjhar from 1887 to 1892, at
Damapada for the second time from 1894 to 1896. He stayed at Cuttack
from 1896 to 1905 and was attached with various institutions of
literature. He spent his last time at Balasore till death. He was
married in the year 1856. He married for the second time in 1871 after
the death of his first wife. In the year 1877 there was sad demise of
his six-year-old son. He was blessed with a second son in1881. He lost
his wife in the year 1894 who died of diarrhea. His marital life was
not smooth and full of sorrows.