Kuntala Kumari Sabat (1900–38) was an Odia woman poet who came into prominence from Odisha during India's freedom struggle. She was also a Gold Medallist physician, writer, poet, editor, leader of nationalist movement & social worker. She was honored with Utkala Bharati in 1925.
Kuntala fondly called as the Nightingale or BulBul of Orissa was amongst many women freedom fighters of India. An eminent poet, Kuntala Sabat used her thoughtful poems to ignite a sense of patriotism among people across the country.
Kuntala was born in 1900 in a Hindu Brahmin family in Jagdalpur (which is now part of Chhattisgarh) of Bastar province of Orissa. Follower of Gandhi, Kuntala had always emphasised that Independence was her birthright & encouraged women to actively participate in the fight against British. She wrote poems & novels from a very young age. ‘Na Tundi’, ‘Kali Bohu’, ‘Parasmani’, ‘Bhranti’, ‘Raghu Arakhita’ are some of her notable works. Her love for man, nature & nation is reflected in her poems. She had founded ‘Bharati Tapovan Sangha’ which she set up for development of Odia literature.
Her thought-provoking poetry anthologies such as ‘Ahwan’ & ‘Gadajata Krishaka’ inspired many who wished to see a free India. She also fought for women’s rights & backed progressive steps taken towards women empowerment. She raised her voice against social evils & supported the idea of widow remarriage. She passed away at the age of 38 in 1938. #womenempowerment #womensday
#women #woman #writer
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For Women's Day Celebration on March 8 2021, we present stories of 8 Inspiring Women of Odisha. For this, at the outset, we want to thank
#bmcbhubaneswar @smartcitybhubaneswar for conceptualizing the Street Art and Mural Project (STAMP) & making murals of fine women on Bhubaneswar's walls before #InternationalHockeyWorldCup2018. In busy city dwellers' lives, these 60 plus numbers of women's murals over a dedicated km-plus stretch of walls, have kept denizens connected to their awe-inspiring life stories. And Team Utkalamrita pays tribute to 8 such inspiring women, having done a humble photoshoot with these Larger-Than-Life Murals in the backdrop.
