Naveen Patnaik Early Life

Early Life and Family

Naveen Patnaik was born on 16 October 1946 in Cuttack, Odisha. He is the son of Biju Patnaik, a freedom fighter, aviator and former Chief Minister of Odisha, and Gyan Patnaik (Gyan Devi, 1919–2009). His brother is Prem Patnaik and his sister was the writer Gita Mehta (died 2023).

Education

• School: Welham Boys' School, Dehradun; The Lawrence School, Sanawar; The Doon School, Dehradun, where Sanjay Gandhi was his classmate
• College: BA, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi

Writer and Cultural Life

Before politics, Patnaik spent many years in Delhi and abroad as a writer and was a founding member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). His books are:

• A Second Paradise: Indian Courtly Life, 1590–1947 (1985)
• A Desert Kingdom: The Rajputs of Bikaner (1990)
• The Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India (1993)