BHUBANESWAR: Eminent litterateur and radio announcer Nadia Bihari Mohanty passed away on Monday while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Cuttack. He was 90.
Known for his contribution towards children’s literature, Nadia Bihari shot to the limelight with his popular children-oriented radio show ‘Sishu Sansara’, which was one of the longest running programmes in Akasvani. In fact, he was synonymous as the ‘Bada Bhai’ of the All India Radio for his namesake character in ‘Sishu Sansara’.
A native of Kaupada village in Kendrapara district, he had joined the AIR as an announcer in Cuttack in 1958. Apart from anchoring the radio show, he wrote several short stories and poems for children.
He had also launched a mobile talent hunt show ‘Dhruba Tara’ through which, he gave a platform to children from rural parts of Odisha to showcase their hidden literary talents.
For his lifetime contribution to children’s literature, Nadia Bihari was felicitated with several awards including the Bal Sahitya Puraskar by Sahitya Akademi in 2013. People from different walks of life condoled his death.