Dhoopa (Oriya Edition)

Dhoopa means an offering of incense, and is a fitting title for this book of sensual romantic poems, written in Odia, the language of Odisha State, on the east coast of India. The poems represent the outpourings of a young man’s soul on fire, following an ever so brief crossing of paths, replete with wonder, longing, trysts, intimacy, ecstasy, separation, pain, questions, and finally acceptance, memories. The book of poems was published in 1931, while the author was still a student. The poems ushered in a new era in Odia poetry. Mayadhar Mansinha continued on to be a prolific poet and writer, but he is fondly remembered as a romantic poet, and the poems in Dhoopa are considered his best.