Adikabi Sarala Dasa

Sarala Dasa was one of the great scholars of Odia literature whose work formed a perennial source of information for succeeding generations.He is also Known as “Adikabi” and “Sudramuni”. He was the first scholar who wrote his works in Odia in the 15th century AD. He was born at Kanakavati Patana, known as Kanakapura, one of the Sidhikshetras in Jagatsinghpur District. The life of Sarala Dasa is very obscure. His early name was Siddheswar Parida, later he was known as Sarala Dasa by the boon of goddess Sarala.

There is a story, which tells us that One day Sidheswar(poet Sarala) was working on the farm and singing so melodiously that the goddess Sarala stopped and listened to his song. Goddess Sarala arrived there as an old woman and she was not able to walk.So Sidheswar stopped his work and asked how he can help to the old woman. The old woman told , she wanted to go to Jakshyapur village. But there was river Mahanadi, so she was unable to go through the river.But at that time Sidheswar was helped her (Goddess Sarala was sitting on the head of Sidheswar) and passed the river.So goddess Sarala blessed him to write Mahabharat in Odia.From that day Sidheswar renamed as poet Sarala Das. Some of the religious sriptures of Sareala Dasa are Chandi Puran, Vilanka Ramayan, Lakshmi Narayan Bachanika and Odia Mahabharat.