Bokaro: Girija Nand Jha ‘Ardhanarishwar,’ a retired English lecturer from the education department of Bokaro Steel Plant, a distinguished literary figure in Hindi and Maithili, and former general secretary of Bokaro’s renowned literary organization ‘Sahitya Lok,’ has been awarded a prestigious national-level literary accolade.
This esteemed honor comes in recognition of his exceptional Hindi poetry collection titled ‘Suraj Ka Sach.’ The Kavilok Sahitya Parishad, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, announced the Palash Sahitya Anubhuti Award for the year 2023, which was bestowed upon Jha (Ardhanarishwar) on 5 October.
The selection process for this coveted literary award was rigorous, with 22 distinguished litterateurs chosen from a total of 380 entries received from across India, spanning various genres of literature. These honorees will be celebrated in a grand ceremony to be organized in the near future.
The news of this prestigious award has been met with jubilation from litterateurs in Jharkhand and Bihar, including the Bokaro region, who have extended their heartfelt congratulations to Jha.
He has made significant contributions to literature with six published books in Maithili and Hindi. His literary works encompass three Maithili story collections (‘Kalankini,’ ‘Neelkanth,’ ‘Anhar Galiyari’), a Maithili poetry collection (‘Mayak Naam Chitthi’), a Maithili essay collection (‘Haikmand’), and the aforementioned Hindi poetry collection (‘Sooraj Ka Sach’).
Following his retirement from the education department of Bokaro Steel Plant, Jha has resided in Delhi for several years and has taken on the role of editor-in-chief for the ‘Koshi Sandesh’ magazine. He is recognized as the father of science fiction in Maithili literature.
Previously, Jha has been honored with several accolades for his remarkable contributions to literature, including the Triveni Kant Thakur Sahitya Award for his notable work in Maithili literature and the ‘Kavi Jaidev Samman’ by Rashtriya Sanskrit Prasar Parishad, Bokaro, in acknowledgment of his contributions to Hindi and Maithili literature, as well as his impact in the field of education. Additionally, he has received the Ideal Teacher Award from the Education Department of Bokaro Steel Plant.
Upon receiving this distinguished recognition, Jha has received warm felicitations and congratulations from various literary and cultural organizations and individuals. Rashtriya Kavi Sangam, Bokaro Metropolitan President Arun Pathak, Founder General Secretary of Sahitya Lok Tulanand Mishra, Buddhinath Jha, Vijay Shankar Mallik ‘Sudhapati,’ Kumar Manish Arvind, Satish Chandra Jha, Harimohan Jha, Bhutkun Jha, Uday Kumar Jha, Dr. Parmeshwar Bharti, Aman Kumar Jha, Sunil Mohan Thakur, Dr. Santosh Kumar Jha, Neelam Jha, Dr. Nirupama Jha, Dr. Ranjit Kumar Jha, Sanjay Kumar Jha, Rajiv Kanth, Dr. Anju Jha, President of Mithila Cultural Council Anil Kumar, Vice President Animesh Kumar Jha, Rajendra Kumar, General Secretary Avinash Kumar Jha, and many others have expressed their joy and conveyed their heartiest congratulations to him.
