Raghunath Panigrahi passes away
Eminent Indian classical singer and music director, better known as vocalist of Jayadeva's 'Gita Govind', Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi died of cardiac arrest at his residence this morning.
He was 80. Pandit Panigrahi was ailing from throat cancer for last couple of months.
The doyen of Odissi music had celebrated his 79th birthday on August 10. He is survived by two sons. His wife, noted Odissi dancer Sanjukta Panigrahi, had preceded him in 1997. Incidentally, Panigrahi breathed his last, a day after his wife's death anniversary yesterday. Pandit Panigrahi had earned accolades for popularising poet Jayadeva's 'Gita Govinda', which has been hailed as the fountainhead of Odissi music, not just in the state but worldwide.
The maestro had received Padmashri award in 2010. He was also the first Odia singer to be honoured by the French government for his 'Gita Govinda' composition. Pandit Panigrahi was popularly known as 'Suramani' for his deeply mellifluous voice.
Born at Gunupur in Odisha's Rayagada district, Panigrahi learnt the classical way of singing from his father at an early age. The soft-spoken and ever smiling singer had given up a his career in Chennai as a playback singer for Telugu and Tamil films to team up with his wife Sanjukta to launch a worldwide campaign to popularise the classical Odissi dance form.
He was 80. Pandit Panigrahi was ailing from throat cancer for last couple of months.
The doyen of Odissi music had celebrated his 79th birthday on August 10. He is survived by two sons. His wife, noted Odissi dancer Sanjukta Panigrahi, had preceded him in 1997. Incidentally, Panigrahi breathed his last, a day after his wife's death anniversary yesterday. Pandit Panigrahi had earned accolades for popularising poet Jayadeva's 'Gita Govinda', which has been hailed as the fountainhead of Odissi music, not just in the state but worldwide.
The maestro had received Padmashri award in 2010. He was also the first Odia singer to be honoured by the French government for his 'Gita Govinda' composition. Pandit Panigrahi was popularly known as 'Suramani' for his deeply mellifluous voice.
Born at Gunupur in Odisha's Rayagada district, Panigrahi learnt the classical way of singing from his father at an early age. The soft-spoken and ever smiling singer had given up a his career in Chennai as a playback singer for Telugu and Tamil films to team up with his wife Sanjukta to launch a worldwide campaign to popularise the classical Odissi dance form.