Odisha Govt Institutes Award In Memory Of Late Vocalist Sunanda Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: The State government has instituted ‘Sunanda Samman’ and Sunanda Chair in memory of eminent Odia vocalist late Sunanda Patnaik who passed away on 19 January 2020 at a private hospital in Kolkata, informed the Office of the CM Naveen Patnaik through a thread of tweets.

To mark the demise of Sunanda, a state-level mourning ceremony will be observed today at Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre in Bhubaneswar.

As per the CM's office, the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi will give away ‘Sunanda Samman’ to personalities who excel in the field of classical music in Odisha each year. Similarly a ‘Guruma Sunanda Patnaik Chair’ will also be constituted at Utkal University of Culture for research in classical music.

Her birth anniversary will be observed by @CultureDeptt every year at Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre as a tribute to legendary classical singer.

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) January 29, 2020

CM Naveen has further announced that the vocalist's residences at Cuttack and Puri will be developed into memorials with due permission from the public. Musical instruments she played and other articles that she used will be preserved in a separate gallery at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay.

Apart from that, Culture department of Odisha will also observe Sunanda Patnaik anniversary every year in Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre in honour of the great classical singer.

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