After receiving the Padma award reams of words have been written about Haldhar Nag. Still many things are in dark and unknown about the gifted and powerful Kosali poet.
Haldhar is famous with surname Haldhar Nag. But actually his surname is Kharsel not Nag. Haldhar belongs to Baidpali village of Gaisilat block. Baidpali is the ancestral village of Haldhar. The elder member of Kharsel family dies in the epidemic cholera. Then they moved to Ghess, to their aunt’s place due to severe drought and cholera at Baidpali. Haldhar’s aunts were with surname Nag. When Haldhar was enrolled in the school, the teacher mentioned Haldhar Nag keeping the surname of his aunt. And there onward child Haldhar Kharsel was known as Haldhar Nag.
It is known to all that he could attend school only up to 3rd standard. In present time, tenth passed students are not able to write a few lines properly. But Have you ever wonder, how this poet writes such beautiful verses without having a formal education? Haldhar gives signature, he can read Odia or Kosali slowly, but he cannot write Kosali or Odia fluently. It is Gopal Bariha, a boy from Ghess who helped Haldhar in scribing down all his writings on paper. Haldhar dictates and Gopal used to writes those on paper.
Haldhar has struggled for a square of meal since his childhood. He was working in a hotel as a dishwasher. He used to be the assistant to the cook in a hostel mess. Later on, he started a small shop in a wooden cabin to sell peanuts and eateries to school kids. Poverty has debarred the poetic genius from a life with comfort. Working all these odd jobs, he used to attend dand rehearsal, drama rehearsal, etc in night and used to compose his poems in day time. At a time, he used to visit Bijepur Zamindar Late Tulsi Prasad Gartia to practice dance and song. There he has learned Kathak, Manipuri and Odissi singing also.
Saket Sreebhushan Sahu
saket.sahu@gmail.com