Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced institution of Sunanda Samman and installation of Guruma Sunanda Patnaik Chair in the memory of eminent classical musician Dr Sundanda Patnaik, who passed away recently.
A State-level condolence meeting for legendary Patnaik would be jointly organised at the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odishi Research Centre on Wednesday evening, informed a release of the Chief Minister’s Office.
The release said the Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy would confer the ‘Sunanda Samman’ to an artist for his or her excellence in the field of classical music every year. A named ‘Guruma Sunanda Patnaik Chair’ would be established at the Utkal University of Culture for higher research and education in classical music, informed the release.
The Chief Minister further stated that Patnaik’s houses at Puri and Cuttack would be developed as ‘sunanda Smruti Sadan’ with consent of her family members. He said musical instruments and other items used by Dr Patnaik would be preserved in a special gallery at the Utkal University of Culture. For this, her family members would be requested to donate those instrument and items for the purpose.
Patnaik’s birth anniversary would be observed by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department at the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odishi Research Centre every year.
