Bhubaneswar: The mortal remains of poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath were consigned to flames at Swargadwar in Puri on Monday, as family members, admirers and dignitaries gathered to pay their last respects.
Several people from different walks of life, including writers, poets, lyricists and artists, attended the cremation. Govt officials, including Puri collector Sidharth Shankar Swain and SP Vineet Agrawal, were present as the cremation was conducted with full state honours.
Rath died at his residence in Kharavela Nagar, Bhubaneswar on Sunday. His body was taken to Puri around noon for the final rites. His son, Pinaki Rath, lit the funeral pyre amid an outpouring of grief from well-wishers.
Ramakanta Rath, a recipient of several prestigious literary awards, was known for his profound poetry that reshaped modern Odia literature. He served as the vice-president of Sahitya Akademi from 1993 to 1998 and later as president from 1998 to 2003, expanding the cause of Indian literature on a national and global stage.
Sahitya Akademi convened a brief meeting of its staff on Monday in New Delhi to condole his death and as a mark of respect, all offices of the Akademi remained closed in the afternoon.