Bhubaneswar: As many as four eminent personalities from Odisha have been awarded Padma Shri on the 76th Republic Day.
They are Dr Ashok Kumar Mahapatra in the field of medicine, Odissi dancer Durga Charan Ranbir in the field of art, Pratibha Satpathy for literature and education and sculptor Advait Charan Gadanayak in the field of art. They will receive the award from President Draupadi Murmu at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Dr Mahapatra thanked Lord Jagannath and said he had dedicated himself to service to the people without expecting any award or reward. “I thank the Centre and the Government of Odisha. I am already 74 and this award is a recognition,” he said. Mahapatra, who spent 43 years in Delhi, became a household name in Odisha after he headed a team that conducted the rare craniopagus surgery of conjoined twins Jaga-Kalia at AIIMS in the national capital in 2017.
Gadanayak, from the remote Dhenkanal district, is a famous sculptor and known for stone carvings on themes like Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March, and the central memorial structure at the National Police Memorial and the statue of Subhas Chandra Bose at the National War Memorial complex. “I am happy and could not image that a man, from a remote village of Dhenkanal district, doing stone works could get such a prestigious award," he said.
Ranbir is a renowned Odissi Dance Guru and is proficient in playing the Pakhawaj. He has been honoured with several awards. Similarly, Satpathy is a poet of Odia literature and is recognised as one of the leading poets of the country. She has also been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award.
ନିଜର ପ୍ରତିଭା ଏବଂ ଜୀବନବ୍ୟାପୀ ସାଧନା ପାଇଁ ସମ୍ମାନଜନକ ପଦ୍ମ ପୁରସ୍କାରରେ ସମ୍ମାନିତ ହେବାକୁ ଯାଉଥିବା ସମସ୍ତ ବିଜେତାଙ୍କୁ ମୋର ହାର୍ଦ୍ଦିକ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ ଓ ଶୁଭେଚ୍ଛା।
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) January 25, 2025
ବିଶେଷ କରି ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ୪ ପଦ୍ମ ବିଜେତା, ମେଡ଼ିସିନ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଡାକ୍ତର ଅଶୋକ ମହାପାତ୍ର, କଳାରେ ଶିଳ୍ପୀ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅଦ୍ବୈତ ଚରଣ ଗଡ଼ନାୟକ ଓ ଶ୍ରୀ ଦୁର୍ଗା ଚରଣ ରଣବୀର…
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in a post on X, congratulated the four Odia personalities for their achievement. He said, "My heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the winners who are going to be honoured with the prestigious Padma Awards for their talent and lifelong dedication. In particular, the people of the state are proud of Odisha’s four Padma award winners, Dr. Ashok Mahapatra in the field of medicine, artists Shri Adwaita Charan Gadanayak and Shri Durga Charan Ranbir in the field of art, and Smt. Pratibha Satpathi in the field of literature and education. I pray to Lord Jagannath for a bright future for everyone".
