Bhubaneswar: Odisha lost seberal eminent personalities, who contributed to the field of art, culture, education and politics, to the deadly coronavirus in 2021. They did Odisha proud and the state will always remember them.
Nanda Prusty
Padma awardee Nanda Prusty breathed his last at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on December 7, 2021.
The 102-year-old teacher, popularly known as Nanda Master, was reportedly undergoing treatment for post-COVID complications.
A native of Kantira village in Jajpur, Nanda Master was honoured with the Padma Shri on November 9 for his long contribution to the field of education. He was perhaps the last man to keep the tradition of ‘chatashali’ (a non-formal school for primary education in Odisha) alive.
Sangram Jena
Former Odisha Youth Congress president Sangram Keshari Jena succumbed to post-COVID complications at a hospital in Hyderabad, on August 19. Sangram was a dynamic youth leader and rose from students’ politics. He was general secretary, BJB College Students’ Union, in 1996-97. He unsuccessfully contested for the post of president of Utkal University Students’ Union in 1998-99 but went on to emerge as a prominent student and youth leader of the state and held different responsibilities in the Congress and its frontal organisations. In 2014, he also unsuccessfully fought the elections for Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket.
Tapu Mishra
Odia playback singer Tapu Mishra was the victim of the second COVID wave in Odisha when she succumbed to complications related to the infection on June 19 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. The 36-year-old vocalist was on 100 per cent ventilator support and the infection severely damaged her lungs. The family had also pleaded for help for her treatment. However, she lost the battle to COVID despite Odisha fervently praying for her speedy recovery.
Debuting in Odia film Kulanandan, Tapu had lent her melodious voice in over 150 movies. She had also sung many bhajans during her career spanning over two decades.
Debasis Panigrahi
Vigilance Director Debasis Panigrahi succumbed to post-COVID complications while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata on June 18.
Panigrahi, 56, had tested positive for COVID-19 in the first week of June and was initially under home isolation. As his health deteriorated, he was admitted to the Cuttack Aditya Ashwini Covid Hospital where he was put on ventilator support.
The 1991-batch IPS officer was airlifted to Medica Super Speciality Hospital in Kolkata on June 8 for advanced medical treatment after his condition deteriorated.
Bijaya Sahoo
Founder-cum-chairman of SAI International Education Group Bijaya Kumar Sahoo succumbed to post-COVID complications at a private hospital in Hyderabad on June 9. The chartered accountant-turned-entrepreneur was admitted to Ashwini Hospital, Cuttack, after testing positive for the virus on April 17. His condition, however, deteriorated later and he was taken in an air ambulance to KIMS, Hyderabad, for advanced treatment on May 19.
MLA Bikram Keshari Barma
Well-known teacher leader, litterateur and former MLA of Mahanga Bikram Keshari Barma died of COVID-19 on June 4. He was 81.
Barma was elected from Mahanga constituency in 2004 as a BJD candidate by defeating the Congress candidate and former minister, Sk Matlub Ali, by around 9,000 votes.
He was also the chairman of the Odisha State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd.
Bijayshree Routray
Former minister and senior BJD leader Bijayshree Routray passed away due to post-COVID complications while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on June 2. He had tested positive for the virus on May 4. He died due to septicemia and multi-organ failure, hospital sources said.
Son of former chief minister Nilamani Routray, he made his political debut from Basudevpur Assembly constituency in 1990 on Janata Dal ticket. He retained the constituency twice as a Janata Dal candidate and then as a BJD candidate consecutively till 2014. He did not contest the 2019 Assembly elections.
Nanda Kishore Patnaik
The man behind the growth of women’s football in Odisha, Nanda Kishore Patnaik breathed his last on June 1. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 12 and was admitted to a private hospital in the city after his condition deteriorated.
The renowned football coach had produced Indian internationals like Sradhanjali, Gitanjali Samantray, Ranjita Mohanty, Sarita Behera, Sudipta Das, and many more players.
Santiraj Khosla
Music director Santiraj Khosla succumbed to the virus on May 27. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He was 50. Khosla tested positive on May 22. Initially, he was under home isolation and shifted to the hospital when he developed breathing problems
He had worked in more than 20 movies like “Don, Keun Duniya Ru Asila Bandhu, Mate Anidele Lakhe Phaguna, ACP Ranbir, Mu Swapna Saudagaur”, and around 2,000 Odia album songs. He had also received the State Film Award as best music director in 2019 for the film Pheriaa (Comeback).
Amarendra Mohanty
Another noted music director Amarendra Mohanty died of COVID-19 on May 17. He was 63. He had tested positive for the virus in the last week of April and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.
A resident of Cuttack, Mohanty was trained in classical music and started his career with Akashvani, Cuttack. He debuted as a music director in the 90s with the film Shradhanjali. He has several superhit Odia movies to his name. These include the song Puchuki Gali from ‘Suna Panjuri’. He had also composed the music for ‘Vasudha’, ‘Rama Laxman’, ‘Bhai Hela Bhagari’, ‘Stree’ and ‘Kandhei Akhire Luha’.
Raghunath Mohapatra
Renowned sculptor and Padma Vibhusan awardee Raghunath Mohapatra passed away at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on May 9. He was 78.
Mohapatra was admitted to the premier medical institute on April 22 after he tested positive for COVID-19. He was shifted to the ICU of the hospital on April 25. He was later put on ventilator support as his condition deteriorated. He lost his battle against the deadly disease on May 9 afternoon.
Born on March 24, 1943 at Sasan Padia in Puri district, Mahapatra was awarded Padma Shri in 1975, Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in July 2018, for Arts, Culture, and Heritage by the President of India.
Prashant Mohapatra
Just about 10 days after Raghunath Mohapatra’s death, his younger son Prashant Mohapatra (47), who was also a former captain of Odisha’s Ranji Trophy cricket team and BCCI referee, died of the infection at the same hospital on May 9. Prashant along with his father Raghunath Mohapatra and elder brother Jasobant was admitted on April 22 after they tested positive for COVID-19. Jashobanta, who was shifted to SUM Covid Hospital from AIIMS in a critical condition, succumbed to the virus the following day.
Playwright Dr Panchanan Mishra
Eminent Sambalpuri playwright Dr Panchanan Mishra has succumbed to COVID-19 at Burla in Sambalpur district on May 7. He was 71.
Mishra was born in Sonepur district in 1950. He was also a theatre actor, director, critic and folk theatre researcher. He was also a faculty of the Department of Drama at Sambalpur University.
Swarna Khuntia
Noted violinist Swarna Khuntia succumbed to COVID-19 on May 6. Born and brought in Cuttack, she was one of the few North Indian classical solo violinists from Odisha to have specialised in the ‘Gayaki Ang’ of the violin.
She was the daughter of renowned tabla and Odissi pakhawaj exponent Pandit Harmohan Khuntia. She was working as a Senior Assistant Professor in violin in the Department of Instrumental Music, Faculty of Performing Arts, Banaras Hindu University since November 2006.
Trupti Panda
Noted Jatra artiste Trupti Panda died of COVID-19 while undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Balasore on April 28. She was 30.
She was also the sister-in-law of noted Jatra artiste Daitari Panda. She is survived by her husband and five-year-old daughter.
Trupti had performed for both Eastern Opera and Mancha Manjari productions. She had essayed myriad roles in more than 50 plays.
Jaga Rout
Well-known Jatra artist and comedian Jaga Rout succumbed to COVID-19 at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on April 27. He was 83.
A native of Nimapara in Puri district, Rout had a 62-year-long career as a Jatra artist in Satasankha Opera, Konark Opera and Kalinga Gananatya. He was an accomplished comedian with a great sense of humour.
Among several stage performances, his roles in ‘Rajadhani Tate Duru Juhara’, ‘Na Kahile Kula Bhasijauchi’, ‘Akasha Kaiyan Chilika Machha’, ‘Kagaja Phula’ and ‘Kahalo Baula Kie To Bara’ were noteworthy.
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