In the period under review two great novelists made their distinct mark in the development of Oriya literature. They were two brothers Shri Kanhu Charan Mohanty and Gopinath Mohanty. Kanhu Charan is considered as a very popular and prolific writer who continue the trends of Fakirmohan so far as his direct social consciousness was concerned.

Though Gopinath Mohanty started his career as a novelist during pre-Independence period he became a prolific writer during the post-lndependence era. His classic novels, 'Paraja' (1946), 'Amrutara Santana'(1950), 'Danapani' (1955) and 'Matimatala' (1964), have elevated Oriya literature to a height not attained before. When his elder brother Kanhu Charan has a clear social commitment in almost all his novels, Gopinath has shown learnings towards the individual.

The intellectual horozon and philosophic speculations of his novels surpass many others written before. Deviation from the beaten track in treatment and technique was an important factor of the novels of Gopinath Mohanty. Although he deviated from the descriptive and recitative style of both Fakirmohan and Kanhu Charan his novels provide ample food for thought for a serious reader. The language in his novels is colloquial and forceful, and the style is poetic and analytical. Sometimes the writer adheres to the stream of consciousness technique in his treatment of psychological aspects of the character. Gopinath made bold experiments in delineating the lives and customs of the tribal people who have been very much neglected since Gopal Ballav Das's 'Bhuima Bhuyan' (1906), a novel that first dealt with this neglected group of people. Though Gopinath worked on the well-known patterns such as the traditional conflicts between poverty and affluence, rural and urban, traditional and modern he expanded their scope and invested them with new dimensions. Gopinath mainly dealt with domestic and socio-political themes, impact of industrialization on the human condition and attempts at subtler analysis of psychological aspects of men and women in the society. He was awarded the prestigious Jnanapith award for his book 'Mati Matal' in the 1973.

Another novelist was Nityananda Mohapatra who discussed about the class struggles and socio-economic aspects in his novels namely, 'Bhangahada' and 'Hidamati'. His novel ' Jianta Manish' deals with sexual and psychological life of a lady with analysis of man's concern with socio-economic problems. Among other novelist who have substantially contributed to the growth of Oriya literature, the names of Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, Rajkishore Patnaik, Basanta Kumari Patnaik, Kamalakanta Das, Pranakrishna Samal and Gyanendra Verma deserve mention. Most of these writers belong to the traditional school whereas Dr. Mahatab and Shri Raikishore Patnaik have shown some amount of deviation both in form and thematic concept in the context of struggle for Indian Independence and disillusion of the Post-lndependence Era respectively.

'Amadabata' of Basanta Kumari Patnaik needs special mention for its grace and revelation of the innermost feelings of an adolescent, petulant girl with changes that come after one is married. Shri Surendra Mohanty is the author of 'Andha Diganta' (the Blind Horizon), 'Nila Saila' and 'Hansagiti'. His Andha Diganta' presents a picture of the miserable condition of a freedom fighter who was always doing ground work during the National Movement. He has been constantly neglected by the clever political leaders who have made him a ladder for their political achievement after Independence. The novel 'Hansagiti' deals with the underground world thus showing the tarnished image of the contemporary Indian society. Bibhuti Patnaik who has written more than thirty novels within two decades and has been very popular among common readers. This due to his stories most of which deal with the romantic love themes.

The Second World War compelled the leftist writers to deviate from the trend of social revolution and engage their attention to the immediate needs. Peace became obviously the only cry for writers amidst the devastations of war, the other cry being Indian Independence.

A group of writers led by Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab and Nityananda Mohapatra aimed at achievement of freedom and oriented their writings accordingly whereas poets like Ananta Patnaik in 'Santi Sikha', Kunja Bihari Das, Krushna Chandra Tripathy etc. aimed at permanent peace and social reconstruction.

The ravages of the World War changed the values of life and a peculiar type of frustrations, cynicism, selfishness came up in the individual and social living. Along with this the Indian mind suffered from a great disillusion after independence as a result of degeneration of the socio-political values of the country. The general elections and experiments with full-fledged democracy did not show much of ethical and political values. The Five Year Plans were so designed that the poor became poorer and centralisation of power led the country to a deplorable condition. In view of all these the writers became existentialists in the sense that they wanted to raise their voice against the establishment and God.

'Amabasyara Chandra' by Govinda Chandra Das, 'Nara Kinnara' by Santanu Kumar Acharya and 'Danapani' by Gopinath Mohanty speak of the existentialist values of life. 'Danapani' gives a true picture of industrialised Post-Independence society, where life has become mechanical. But 'Narakinnara' and 'Satabdir Nachiketa' of Shri Acharya and 'Asurya Upanibesh' of Chandra Sekhar Rath present totally different type of stories with lost values of human life. Shri Acharya is a powerful writer with peculiarity in style and novelty in design. In all his fictions the characters search for their identity and truth.

So far as development of short-stories is concerned the Post-lndependence Oriya literature has a number of talented writers led by Surendra Mohanty, Rajkishore Roy, Kishori Charan Das, Akbila Mohan Patnaik, Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo and Manoj Das. Shri Mohanty is earger for new themes as most of his stories deal with the cosmopolitan urban life and its heterogeneous problems. Kishori Charan and Akhil Mohan who believe in quality rather than quantity have raised Oriya short-stories to a height not attained before. Like all conscious modern writers Shri Patnaik deals with inner alienation, emotional tension and frustration of the modern man and gives a vivid picture of the surrounding around him, whereas Kishori Charan, an equally potential writer deals with strange hapenings of the middle class family with wider analysis. But Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo represents a different personality in modern fiction with an expanded horizon in concepts and experiments in style. Shri Manoj Das has subtle sense of humanistic appeal which reveals the most pathetic inner self of the character. Many of his stories translated into different Indian languages as well into English have brought him international fame as an artist. Among other short-story writers of the period mention should be made of late Bama Charan Mitra, Choudhry Hemakanta Mishra, Achyutananda Pati, Santanu Kumar Acharya, Binapani Mohanty, Rabi Patnaik, Rama Chandra Mishra alias Faturananda, Bibhuti Bhusan Tripathy, Krushna Prasad Mishra, Rabinarayan Baral, Kulamani Mohapatra, Nimain Ch. Patnaik, Ramachandra Behera, Chitta Misra, late Kahneilal and others. They have raised the standard of Oriya short-stories to a considerable height which could well boast of a position at par with other Indian languages.

But the Post-Independence Oriya poetry has undergone many changes and experiments. It started from a romantic leftist outlook and has crossed all boundaries of tradition. During fifties poets like Sachi Routray and Guruprasad Mohanty left their romantic ideology and became more and more realistic, whereas. Binod Chandra Nayak persisted on romanticism all through his poetic experiments. Shri Routray seeks to give expression to the urges of mind which almost defy embodiment and yet there are times where thought and feeling have fused in an authentic image of beauty. His 'Baji Rout' (1942) translated as "Boatman Boy" is a masterpiece of his literary conviction. In the sixties and seventies his poetry took a its striking social purposes.

Among the contemporary poets Ramakanta Rath and Sitakanta Mahapatra stand out as most signficant. Shri Rath is the most conscious modern poet who has made many experiments including metrical arrangements of his poetry. His verse though devoid of Iyrical charm deals with the consciousness of time, death and love. Some of his poems have left a lasting impression on Oriya literature. Shri Mahapatra is very often metaphysical and appears to be more serious in tone. His 'Astapadi' considered as a classic creation in Oriya literature, presents a chain of pictures of death, hell and the life after death. Among the other modern poets, the names of Jagannath Prasad Das, Brahmotri Mahanty, Deepak Misra, Saubhagya Mishra, prativa Satpathy, Harihar Mishra, Kamalakant Lenka and Rajendra Kishore Panda of the younger group and the names of Janaki Ballav Mohanty, Chintamani Behara, Benudhar Rout, Bhanuji Rao, Bidyut Prava Devi and Durga Charan Parida of the older group are worth mentioning. Rabindranath Singh and Brajanath Rath have all along stuck to the leftist ideology whereas younger poets do not seem to show any definite viewpoint in their creations. A number of young writers in different groups namely 'The Akabita', 'The Oyan Lu',' The Abadhut,' 'The Anamas' have emerged in the middle of the sixties. But all their attempts could not give rise to a new movement in Oriya poetry and subsequently disintegrated during the seventies. The mini-magazines which came up at this time were also rejected by the middle of seventies.

After Independence Oriya literature has grown very fast almost in all directions. Literary criticisms, belleslettres and travel stories have been enriched both in quality and quantity within the first thirty years. Dr. N. Samantray is undoubtedly the best critic who has expanded the dimension of this branch of literature by his constant efforts preceeded by Pandit Nilakantha Das and Artaballav Mohanty of the Pre-lndependence period. Among other critics the names of Surendra Mohanty, Dr. J.B. Mohanty, Dr. Gopal Ch. Mishra, Dr. Khageswar Mahapatra, Dr. Banshidhar Mohanty, Pathani Patnaik, Dr. K. C. Panigrahi, Chintamani Behera, Dasarathi Das, Chittaranjan Das, Dr. Narendra Mishra, Jatindra Mohan Mohanty, Dr. K. C. Sahoo, Dr. K. C. Behera and B.C. Samal should be mentioned. The travel stories of Dr. K. B. Das, Dr. Mansingh, G. B. Dhal, Sreeharsa Mishra, Umesh Panigrahi, Surendra Mohanty and Govind Das deserve commendation, whereas, the belleslettres of Shri N. Mahapatra and Chandra Sekhar Rath reveal a deep human understanding with artistic excellency.

In the Post-lndependence period during the sixties, Oriya drama has undergone a radical change. It deviated from the traditional path enunciated by exponents like Aswini Kumar Ghosh, Kalicharan Patnaik, Rama Chandra Mishra, Bhanja Kishore Patnaik, Chandra Mishra, and Gopal Chhotray. Contemporary play writers like Manoranjan Das, Pranabandhu Kar, Bihav Kumar Mishra, Biswajit Das, Ramesh Chandra Panigrahi, Kartik Chandra Rath, Akhyay Mahanty, Basanta Mahapatra, Ratnakar Chaini and some other younger dramatists have given newer dimensions to the theatre both in the thematic concepts and stage-craft. A latest tendency has always been marked in the Oriya plays to make them deliberately obscure and name them 'Absurd.' But the traditional dramas have not been superseded by these attempts of the younger group so far their mass appeal and commercial aspects are concerned. But the traditional dramas have not been superseded by these attempts of the younger group so far as their mass appeal and commercial aspects are concerned.