Utkala Brahmin - Notable Utkala Brahmins

Notable Utkala Brahmins

• Jayadeva:Famous Sanskrit scholar, poet of 10th century and author of Gitagovinda.
• Govardhan Acharya:Sanskrit scholar of 12th century. He wrote Aryasaptasati a Sanskrit poem in 700 stanzas.
• Udayan Acharya : Sanskrit scholar of 12th century. He wrote Bhavavibhavinitika in Sanskrit, the first commentary on the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva.
• Samantaray : A Brahmin Caste, a "Raja Upadhi".
• Vishwanath Kaviraj: Sanskrit scholar of 13th century. He wrote Sahitya Darpana an Alankara shashtra in sanskrit.
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu(1486-1535):Also known as Gouranga,Nimai, Viswambhara was a great Vaishnava saint of Bhakti era of medieval India.Goudiya Vaishnava is based on his philosophy. Having family roots to Jajpur, Orissa, from where his grandfather Jagannath Mishra migrated to Mayapur Orissa(Nabadwip of West Bengal). He was contemporary of last Suryavamsi emperor of Orissa, Gajapati Prataprudra. He spent his last 24 years of life in Puri, Orissa.
• Jagannatha Dash(1490-1550):A great scholar of Sanskrit and Oriya language.His unique creation 'Srimad Bahgbata' in Oriya is one of the pioneering piece of Oriya literature.He was bestowed the name Atibadi(bigger than all) by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.One can hardly find a village in Orissa, where there is no ‘Bhagabata Ghara’ or 'Bhagabata Tungi' and a house, where Jagannatha Das’s unique creation Bhagabata is neither worshipped nor recited.He was one of the Panchasakhas of Vashnavite Bhakti movement in Orissa during the reign of Last Suryavamsi emperor Gajapati Prataparudra Dev.
• Pandit Gangadhara Mishra:A 16th century Sanskrit.He was court poet of Maharaja Baliar Singh(1660-1690 AD) of Sambalpur Kingdom.He was reputed for his work Kosalanandakavyam.In this poem the post medieval social and cultural condition of Sambalpur along with rest of Orissa are reflected.
• Jaykrushna Rajguru Mohapatra(Jayee Rajguru)(1739-1806):Royal priest,Chief Commander-in -chief,administrative representative of Khurda kingdom(Maharaja of Puri) Gajapati Mukunda Dev-II.He was the pioneer of Paika Rebellion or Paika Bidroha(1803-1820).He was ordered to be hanged till death by East India Company.He was hanged brutally in Baghtota/Bagitota of Midnapore(Now a district of West Bengal state).