Das, Manoj, 1934-2021

Manoj Das (27 February 1934 – 27 April 2021) was an Indian author who wrote in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded the Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, and Padma Bhusan in 2020, the third-highest Civilian Award in India for his contribution to the field of Literature & Education. Kendra Sahitya Akademi has bestowed its highest award (also India's highest literary award) i.e Sahitya Akademi Award Fellowship. In 1971, through extensive research conducted in the archives of London and Edinburgh, he uncovered lesser-known aspects of India's freedom struggle during the early 1900s, led by Sri Aurobindo. This significant contribution earned him the inaugural Sri Aurobindo Puraskar in Kolkata. His pursuit of deeper understanding eventually led him to mysticism, becoming a resident of Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry in 1963. During his time there, he imparted knowledge in English Literature and the Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo at the Sri Aurobindo International University.