New Delhi: A 66-year-old writer in Kosli language, Haldhar Nag, has attended school only up to class III, but five scholars have based their PhD reserarch on this writer and poet from western Odisha. He received the Padma Shri from the President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.

Nag remembers all the poems and 20 epics that he wrote. Haldhar Granthabali-2, a compilation of his writings will be a part of the syllabus of Sambalpur University.

According to close associate of the poet, Nag remembers everything he writes and also attends three to four programmes every day to recite his poems.

Being the simple lifestyle he lives, Nag has never worn any footwear. He’s always seen in a white dhoti and a vest. He feels free in the outfit he says.

He was born in a poor family of Ghens in Bargarh district of Odisha in 1950 and lost his father when was just 10 year old. Subsequently had to quit school in class III and join as dishwasher at a local sweet shop.

He worked as a cook for 16 years at a high school. With a number of schools coming up in the area, he approached a bank and got Rs 1,000 loan to start a small shop selling stationeries and eatables for school students.

Nag had his first tryst with writing in 1990 with the poem ‘Dhodo Bargachh’ (The Old Banyan Tree) which was published in a local magazine. Later, he sent four poems and all of them were brought out in the magazine. He was felicitated and that encouraged him to pen down more.

“I started touring nearby villages to recite my poems and got huge response,” he said.

Nag is known as Lok Kabi Ratna in Odisha. His themes for his writing are from the rural backdrop. Nature, society mythology and religion are the topics he mostly writes about. He feels that poetry must have real-life connection and message for the people.