Bhubaneswar: Seven eminent artists of Odisha have been conferred with the prestigious Dharmapada Samman.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi handed over the award to the seven artists at their house.
The seven eminent artists, who received the prestigious award for the following year, are Gokul Bihari Patnaik (2009), Asim Basu (2010), Durga Prasad Das (2011), Sudarshan Sahu (2012), Jatin Das (2013), Dinanath Pathi (2014) and Raghunath Mahapatra (2015).
The award, instituted by the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi, carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.
The award is presented for lifetime achievements and contributions of an Odia artist towards conservation, propagation and development of traditional art, contemporary art and Odishan art.
