THE GOLDEN JACKAL AND OTHER STORIES

Like a face in the crowd, Rajanikanta Mohanty stands obviously apart from the host of golden daffodils of Odia story tellers. Because his apprehension of the multifoliate reality cascading rhythmically all around is, by all means, novel but natty. His sensitive response as a superb creative genius to the panorama and pageantry of contemporary human frailties and frivolities commands both respect and love of enlightened readers. His universe, by no means, registers any hanky-panky since his absolute and obsessive fidelity to experience is unobtrusive and intuitive. In him the reader meets a genius that speaking to men, enters and possesses him/her emotionally and intellectually. A seasoned timber, Rajanikanta has already carved a niche for himself in heterogeneous readers' hearts. In fact, one does not find very many Odia story tellers like him. The stories in this collection exemplify his satisfying and salubrious departure (In fact Rajani's trademark) from the hackneyed way of pitching' the yarn especially thematically. In this connection, it won't be wide off the mark to remark that he is a literary seer who sees and shows the 'Viswarupa' (cosmic form) of our existence. The collection has 16 powerful short stories.