Amaravati, Apr 3 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has been conferred with the 'Kalinga Ratna' award for this year by the Sarala Sahitya Sansad.

The award was presented to Harichandan on Friday by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on the 600th birth anniversary of Adikabi Sarala Das.

The award was a part of the 40th annual celebrations of Sarala Sahitya Sansad held at Sarala Bhawan in Cuttack.

Naidu congratulated Harichandan for winning the award.

The 'Kalinga Ratna' award carried a silver statuette of Goddess Saraswati and a copper plaque.

Naidu hailed Devi as the adi kavi (first poetess) and a genius in the realm of Odia literature.

"Sarala Mahabharat written by Sarala Das in the 15th century, the first complete Mahabharat in a regional language is a classic example of popularity and adoption of literature in the spoken dialect," said the Vice President.

The Governor said that literary works should be in a manner that they attract children and noted that anything learnt in one's mother tongue will never be forgotten.

"Literature learnt during one's childhood leads them to their personality development at a later stage," said Harichandan.

He praised Das as an excellent literary genius from the 15th century who contributed to epic literary works in Odia and a spoken dialect easily read and understood by all.