Bhubaneswar: Versatile Singer and Music Director Prafulla Kar passed away at his residence in Satya Nagar in the state capital here on Sunday night.
He was 83 and survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.
A great devote of Lord Jagannath, Mr.Kar met a painless death while at home. He felt uneasy at about 9 Pm in the night and breathed his last an hour after in presence of family members.
However, he was suffering from age related aliment.
His last rites will be performed at Swarga Dwara on Monday with full state hour, family sources added.
Prime Ministeri Narendra Modi, Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and many dignitaries have expressed deep grief over the demise of eminent Odia musician and singer Prafulla Kar.
Mr.Modi said Prafulla Kar Ji will be remembered for his pioneering contribution to Odia culture and music.”Anguished by the passing away of Shri Prafulla Kar Ji. He will be remembered for his pioneering contribution to Odia culture and music. He was blessed with a multifaceted personality and his creativity was reflected in his works. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,.” The Prime Minister said in a twitter post.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the singer’s last rites will be performed with State Honours. He asked two Ministers, School and Mass Education Minister Sameer Ranjan Dash and Law Minister Pratap Jena to attend the funeral.
State Planning Board Deputy Chairman Sanjay Dasburma will also attend the funeral.
Meanwhile, a large number of people from different walks of life made beeline to pay their last respect to the departed soul. A pall of gloom descended on the Odia film fraternity after the demise of Mr.Kar.
Born on February 16, 1939 in Puri, Mr.Kar was an eminent musician, singer, lyricist, writer and columnist. He was popular among the people through his numerous songs including ‘Kamala Desha Rajakumara’.
He had received the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2015 and honoured with Jayadeva Award in the year 2004. He had received State Film Award eight times, six times in a row.
Mr.Kar has has the distinction of being the musician who recorded Odia Bhagabat and Odia Chhanda, a rare collection of traditional Odia songs. ‘Prabhukrupa’, a devotional music album directed by him in the voice of Anuradha Paudwal under T-Series banner, recorded sales of over 10 lakh cassettes. His composition ‘Collection of Geet Govindam’, rendered by Vani Jayaram, was also a big hit.
Country’s eastablished singers like Usha Mangeshkar, Kavita Krishnamurty, Suresh Wadkar, Md.Aziz, Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, Vani Jairam, S Janaki, Chitra, Yesudas and S P Balsubramanyam have rendered their voices to Odia music under his direction.