RIP Guruma: Eminent Indian Classical Singer Sunanda Patnaik No More

Bhubaneswar: Sunanda Patnaik, noted Indian classical singer and daughter of Odia poet Baikunthanath Patnaik, passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata, she was 85.

Popularly known as 'Guruma', Sunanda Patnaik is a singer of Gwalior gharana. She is known for singing at a high pitch and was one of the best contemporary interpreters of Odissi music.

Sunanda Patnaik’s 'Jeevana patra mo bharicha kete mote...', penned by her father Baikunthanath Patnaik is a rendition that still remains unmatched. Besides, she is known for singing Shri Jagannath Stotras in most melodious manner.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the demise of Sunanda Patnaik.

ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରୀୟ ସଙ୍ଗୀତ କଣ୍ଠଶିଳ୍ପୀ ସୁନନ୍ଦା ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରୀୟ ସଙ୍ଗୀତ ଜଗତରେ ତାଙ୍କ ସ୍ଥାନ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ରହିବ। ତାଙ୍କ ଅମର ଆତ୍ମାର ସଦଗତି କାମନା କରିବା ସହ ଶୋକସନ୍ତପ୍ତ ପରିବାରବର୍ଗଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ମୋର ସମବେଦନା ଜଣାଉଛି।

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) January 19, 2020

She had received Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1970 and 1971. She was conferred with the Indian Lifetime Achievement award in 2009 and Lifetime Achievement award from The Orissa society of the Americas (OSA) in 2012.

Sunanda was also the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Tagore Akadami Puraskar) for the year 2012.