ଫକୀର ମୋହନଙ୍କ ଗଳ୍ପଠାରୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରି ଗୋଟିଏ ଗୋଟିଏ ସୁନିର୍ବାଚିତ ଗଳ୍ପର କାଳୋତ୍ତୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଚରିତ୍ରମାନେ ମୋ ପ୍ରତି ଏତେ ସ୍ନେହାର୍ଦ୍ର ଓ ସମ୍ବେଦନଶୀଳ ହେବେ ଓ ହୃଦୟକୁ ମୋର ପ୍ରବେଶ କରି ମନ୍ଥିତ କରିବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଭାବନାରେ, ଏହା ଥିଲା ମୋର ଅଜ୍ଞାତ । ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ରୀତିରେ କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ରଗଳ୍ପର ଅନୁଶୀଳନ ନ କରି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ମାସ ପାଇଁ ଯେଉଁ ଗୋଟିଏ ଗୋଟିଏ ଚରିତ୍ରର ଅନ୍ତଃରୂପାୟନ କରିବାର ନିଷ୍ପତ୍ତି ନେଲି; ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟର କଥା ଯେ ସେହି ଚରିତ୍ର ସକଳ ମୋତେ ମାଧ୍ୟମ କରି ପ୍ରକାଶ କଲେ ନିଜ ନିଜ ବିରଳ ଆତ୍ମାନୁଭୂତି । ‘ରେବତୀ’ ପତ୍ରିକାରେ ନିୟମିତ ଭାବରେ ଏହା ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହେବା ଯେତେବେଳେ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେଲା ସହୃଦୟ ପାଠକମାନଙ୍କୁ ତାହା ବିଗଳିତ କଲା ଭିନ୍ନ ଭାବରେ । ବାସ୍ତବରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଅନ୍ତର୍କଥା ବା ଅନ୍ତର୍ବ୍ୟଥା ଲେଖୁଥିବା ବେଳେ ମୋର ସମଗ୍ର ଚେତନା ତାଙ୍କରି ଆୟତ୍ତାଧୀନ । ପରେ ଭାବିଛି ସାହିତ୍ୟର ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା ଓ ବିଶ୍ଳେଷଣ ଏକ ଛାଞ୍ଚଢ଼ଳା ରୀତିରେ ନ ହୋଇ ସୃଜନାତ୍ମକ ଶୈଳୀର ଅବଲମ୍ବନ ଦ୍ୱାରା କାହିଁକି ନ ହୋଇ ପାରିବ ଭିନ୍ନ ଭିନ୍ନ? ନୂତନ ପିଢ଼ିର ଛାତ୍ରଛାତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କ ସକାଶେ ନ ହେବ କାହିଁକି ନବ-ଚେତନା ଉଦ୍ରେକକାରୀ ଭାବରେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ! ଏ ପ୍ରକାରର ଚରିତ୍ରାନୁଶୀଳନ ସାହିତ୍ୟର ଅନେକ ଛାତ୍ରଛାତ୍ରୀ ଅଧ୍ୟାପକ ଅଧ୍ୟାପିକା ଓ ସାଧାରଣ ବର୍ଗର ସୁପାଠକମାନେ ଯେପରି ଉଦାରତାର ସହିତ ଗ୍ରହଣ କଲେ ଓ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଅନ୍ତର୍ଭେଦୀ ଅଭିମତ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରି ମୋତେ ଅଭିଭୂତ କରିଦେଲେ ତାହା ମଧ୍ୟ ମୋ ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରକୃତରେ କଳ୍ପନାତୀତ । ଓଡିଶାର ଭିନ୍ନ ରୁଚି ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ପ୍ରାଜ୍ଞ ପାଠକଙ୍କଠାରୁ ଏ ରମ୍ୟରଚନା ପୁସ୍ତକଟି ମଧ୍ୟ ଉପଯୁକ୍ତ ସମାଦର ଲାଭ କରିପାରିବ, ଏହି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟୟ ନିଃସଙ୍କୋଚ ଅଥଚ ନମ୍ରତାର ସହିତ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରି ରହୁଛି ଏତିକିରେ ।

—- ମଣୀନ୍ଦ୍ର କୁମାର ମେହେର

The history of a nation’s table is a reflection of the civilization of that nation. To show the changes in the order and serving of meals from century to century to describe and comment on the progress of cuisine, is to paint a picture of the many stages through which a nation has evolved. Since the distance times when as a weak tribe men lived in dark caves, eating wild roots, raw fish, flesh of animals killed with the spear. It is this history that is the subject of “Paka Shastra” in which Mrs. Meera Kanungo has outlined all the improvements bought to the culinary art. Those who make a profession in culinary art will find in this book, what the art of good eating today. Housewives will be interested in the evolution of the regional cuisine. Professional cooks both men and women will able to draw inspiration from principles of culinary technique found on the knowledge and authority of the author. The paucity of standard books on cooking in Odia language prompted the author to write this book for the benefit of these engaged in either imparting or acquiring knowledge of cookery in educational institutes. The present book will help the housewives to understand food preparation better. Cooks working in hotels and restaurant kitchen will find it useful as it has been presented in simple local language. The author has endeavored to incorporate all the available material into a comprehensive but brief account of cooking. The book highlights the role of various food items and cookery principles. The book is an outcome of long years of practice and research by the author. The present edition of the PAKASHASTRA is the improvement on its first edition authored by late Dipti Patanaik and Meera Kanungo. I came across both of them in late Nineteen seventies when they were doing a course in the then Food Craft Institute and I was faculty member. From those days it has been their keen interest in documenting their experience out of which the first edition of Pakasashtra was evolved and that book was out of market in no time. After the demise of Dipti Patanaik efforts have been made by Mrs. Meera Kanungo to take an improved edition with much better imputed. I am sure the book will be accepted by both housewives and professionals in it’s new and advanced edition.

Bishnu Prasad Tripathy, Retired Principal of ‘Institute of Hotel Management’, Bhubaneswar

Poetry is necessary because it transforms suffering into significance. Pain is universal, grief unavoidable, loss inevitable. Yet poetry alchemizes anguish into art, despair into understanding, tragedy into testimony. It teaches that suffering is not annulled but acknowledged, that wounds are not hidden but honored, that absence is not erased but exalted. The poem becomes a vessel for the human condition, a witness to fragility, a sanctuary for sorrow.

Paradoxically, poetry is necessary precisely because it is sometimes ineffable. Its power does not lie in instruction or information, but in sensation, resonance, and revelation. It awakens faculties that prose cannot, stirring not merely intellect but intuition, feeling, imagination, and insight. It reminds us that humans are not only rational beings but also mystical, musical, and mysterious. To ignore poetry is to amputate the soul.

And finally, poetry is necessary because it embodies hope without hubris. In a world of decay, destruction, and despair, poetry insists on possibility. It affirms beauty, sanctifies courage, celebrates creation, and envisions justice. It does not promise a perfect world, but it illuminates the imperfect one, and in doing so, it teaches resilience. Poetry is the hand extended across time and tragedy, the whisper that life is still worth living, the song that reminds us we are still awake.

Thus, the nature of the necessary is the very nature of poetry. To live fully, one must read, write, or feel poetry. To know humanity, one must enter its lines. To endure the passage of time, one must breathe its cadences. Poetry is not luxury, not ornament, not pastime. It is sustenance, structure, and sanctuary. It is as essential as air, as urgent as blood, as inexhaustible as wonder itself.

Eventually it may be advised to read poetry, write poetry, and to live poetry. Let the cadence of your own consciousness meet the cadence of the cosmos. Let the paradoxes of your existence resonate with the paradoxes of the poem. Let the fleeting, the finite, the fragile be made eternal through attention, through articulation, through awe.

Poetry is necessary. It is life intensified, existence ennobled, eternity enacted. It is not indulgence but imperative. And in embracing poetry, we embrace the full, paradoxical, magnificent, and mysterious nature of being itself.