Gaan, a long poem about rural Odisha depicts the vanishing values of life. It generally relates to Odisha’s culture and tradition. The humanitarian approach of Gayatribala Panda is praiseworthy as she maintains a simple, chaste and appealing style in her poems.(CENTRAL SAHITYA AKADEMI).

Gaan (Village), 2008. The anthology, as is subsumed in its captioning, critiques nostalgia. And stands apart from the earlier collections. The poet reminisces her early memories, largely revolving round a village life; the most impactful time of one’s existence.Though there is no escape from the pervasive pessimism of the poet. In fact the nostalgia of the poetic-self looks misplaced in the changing times; a connect with the past cannot be worked out either. However, the pessimism does not glare at you; it blends with the realism that the poems portray. All the numbers in the anthology are titled ‘Gaan’, accentuating a structural point.

ଏ ସଙ୍କଳନରେ ଗାୟତ୍ରୀ ବାଳା ପଣ୍ଡାଙ୍କ ଶବ୍ଦଚୟନ ଖୁବ ସାବଲୀଳ, ପାତ୍ରାନୁକୁଳ । ସମସାମୟିକ ସମାଜିକ ସମବେଦନାର ଅଭିବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ଓ ସାମାଜିକ ପରତିବଦ୍ଧତାର ସ୍ଵର ଉତ୍ପେଳିତ କରିବାରେ କବି ଗାୟତ୍ରୀ ବାଳା ବେଶ ସଫଳ। ଏ ଗଁ। ସଂକଳନ ଗଢିଉଠିଛି କେତେକ ବେଶ ସଂବେଦନଶୀଳ ଚରିତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ମାନବୀୟ ବ୍ୟଥା ଓ ଗାଥାକୁ ଆଧାର କରି। ପ୍ରତ୍ଯେକ କବିତାର ଆବେଗ, ଉଦବେଦନ ଓ ଅଭିବ୍ୟକ୍ତିର ସ୍ଵର ରେ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ରତା ପରିଲକ୍ଷିତ।