Aradhana: An Adoration in Love

Essayist, short story writer, journalist, poet, Kamal K. Mohanty (b. 11 Nov. 1952) wears many hats. After more than thirty-five years with some of the most prominent English dailies in India, post-retirement he now divides his time between editing an infrastructure magazine (Coal: The Soul of Indian Economy) and chasing his literary pursuits. He has published multiple volumes of essays and short stories with a translated book of poems. He is a rare writer who has given expression to his imagination in multiple languages, writing with equal ease in Odia and English, the first his native tongue; and the second his professional medium. His first book, `Orissa: The Lost Footsteps’ was a collection of his writings in various newspapers such as The Telegraph, The Economic Times, etc. on his native state at the crossroads of history and the future. His essays and short stories have been published in leading Odia magazines. He has edited two volumes on two major mining and manufacturing companies. His other edited work, `Jagannath, The Culture of Brotherhood’ is widely circulated. He has been published by the Sahitya Akademi as part of its series on Makers of Indian Literature, in which he discusses the life and work of Laxmidhar Nayak, eminent Odia litterateur. Mohanty has two children and lives in Kolkata with his wife.