BHUBANESWAR,Nov.27 : Odisha’s ideal and popular teacher Abhiram Mohapatra , a wellknown teacher of teachers passed away on Sunday, 25th November at Kesura , in Bhubaneswar. He was 87 and is survived by his wife, sons, grandsons, grand daughters and younger brother Sudhakar Mohapatra, retired chief conservator of Forests and Wildlife, Odisha.
The veteran teacher, who hailed from Nidhpur village under Khurda district to parents Bhikari Charan Mohapatra and Bishnupriya Mohaartra in 1929 was regarded as “teacher of teachers” as he served in almost all the teachers training institutions like Radhanath Training College, Anugul Training College, Ravenshaw College, B.J.B. College, Berhampur B.Ed College and was instrumental in creating few thousand dutiful and devoted teachers in the State.
Mohaptra started his education in Dasarathi High School, Olasingh , which was the third oldest high School in erstwhile Puri district and was promoted in the Matriculation examination under Utkal University securing 4th position in 1948. Then he joined as a teacher in the same school and became too popular because of his teaching ability and guiding the students to build up their career .
While serving as teacher in Dasarathi High School, Olasingh, Mohapatra’s quest for higher education inspired him to appear for B.A. examination as a private candidate and passed with distinction. Since his dream was to become a good teacher, without looking for any other job, he got himself admitted in B.Ed. class of Radhanath Training College, Cuttack, which was the only institution for providing higher education and training to the teachers. He also completed his M.Ed. from the same institution and secured first class first position.
Soon the brilliant young teacher joined state’s most prestigious Ravenshaw Collegiate School as a teacher and had never looked back to any other profession until he retired as a professor from the Education Department of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack in 1987.
Mohapatra was a voracious reader , writer and orator. Thousands of his students all over the State mourned his death and paid respectful homage to him. Praying the almighty to rest his soul in peace while giving strength to his bereaved wife and all family members.
Prasanta Patnaik