Renowned singer Nirmala Mishra passes away

Noted  Odia and Bengali singer Nirmala Mishra passed away at her residence in Chetla area in Kolkata in the early hours of Sunday after suffering a massive heart attack, a senior doctor said.

Mishra, 81, who lent her voice to songs in several Odia and Bengali films, had been battling age-related ailments for some time.

She suffered a massive heart attack around 12.05 am and was taken to the nearest nursing home, where the singer was declared dead, the doctor said.

Born in 1938 in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, Mishra is a recipient of the Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das Award, which was conferred on the singer for her lifetime contribution to Odia music.

Her popular Bengali songs include Eamon Ekta Jhinuk', Bolo to Arshi' and Eai Banglar Mati Te', while some of her hit Odia songs are 'Nida Bhara Raati Madhu Jhara Janha' and 'Mo Mana Beena Ra Taare'.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed grief over the demise of Mishra.

The singer's body will be taken to Rabindra Sadan around 11 am for her fans and admirers to pay their last respect, official sources said.