Nanda Kishore Bal

Born: 22 December 1875

Died: 1 July 1928

He was an Indian poet of the era of initial modernity in Odia poetry.
He was born at Kusupur village in the Cuttack district of Odisha.
He was initially named as Rasananda Jena.
Later he was adopted by her aunt and then came to the name, Nanda Kishore Bal.
He is popularly known as “Palli Kabi” (the poet of rural life) for his tender lyrics, celebrating the beauty of rural Odisha in his poems.
Pallikabi Nanda Kishore Bal was a poet of the rural scene, portraying its simplicity, its superstitions, and festivals.
His popular lyrics for children Nana Baya Gita are sung to the accompaniment of music.
He wrote several poems that reveal his strong spiritual inclination, and a sharp awareness of social problems.
Among his collections are, Nirjharini(The Stream), Palli Chitra (The picture of the countryside), Basanta-Kokila, Tarangini, Charuchitra, Nirmalya, Prabhata Sangeeta, Sandhya Sangita, Krushna Kumari, and Sarmishtha.
He wrote about a hundred sonnets that are scattered throughout his collections.
His sonnets deal with both nature and personal suffering and reveal high poetic sensibility.
These sonnets are known for their restrained thoughts and versification.