Fakir Mohan Senapati (13 January 1843 - 14 June 1918) born on
January 13, 1843, at Mallikashpur in Balasore, played a leading
role in establishing the distinct identity of Oriya, a language
mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa. Fakirmohan Senapati
is regarded as the father of Oriya nationalism and the morden
Oriya literaure. Born to father, Laxman Charan Senapati and
mother Tulsi Devi Senapatie, Fakirmohan dedicated his life for
the progress of Oriya language in the later 19th and early 20th
century. The story of Fakirmohan is indeed the story of the
'Renaissance' of Oriya literature. Besides he was a social
reformer and educator who used his pen to criticize and correct
the aberrations prevalent in the society. He is called the
father of Oriya fiction. He is aptly called as Thomas Hardy of
Orissa.[by whom?] Though he had translated from Sanskrit, wrote
poetry, and attempted many forms of literature, he is now known
primarily as the father of modern Oriya prose fiction. The four
novels of Fakirmohan, w