Bhubaneswar: Renowned Odia bhajan singer Santilata Barik Chhotray passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Monday. She was 63.
She was battling for life for quite some time after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
Her husband Basant Chhotray confirmed the news.
When it comes to Odia bhajans, she has carved a niche in the field by rendering her voice to bhajans including ‘Jagannath Tume Bada Chhalia,’ ‘Thaka Mana Chala Jiba,’ ‘Mun Je Deula Bedha,’ and ‘Kaaliare.’
Born on October 1, 1960, in Khurda, the legendary singer was a student of Odisha Sangeeta Mahavidyalaya. She honed her singing skills under the tutelage of Guru Balakrushna Das, Markendeya Mohapatra, Singhari Shyamsundar Kar and Gopal Panda.
Apart from being a certified artiste of All India Radio, she is a cherished name among Jagannath devotees throughout the state for her contribution to Odia bhajans.
The legendary singer has more than 2,000 devotional songs to her credit.
Widely recognized and revered in households across the state, she will remain a legendary singer. Her death has created a void in the Odia bhajan industry which will never be filled up, opined her fans.
Her body was taken to her residence near Kedar Gouri temple, She will be cremated at Swargadwar crematorium in Puri tomorrow after her relatives and fans will pay homage to her.
According to sources, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and rushed to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. She was back to Odisha after few months of treatment.
She fell sick again in 2022 and taken to Tata Memorial Hospital. She came back to Odisha after a few days of treatment. She was under medication. On September 22, 2023, she became unwell again and was hospitalized.
On Monday, she fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. However, she breathed her last while undergoing treatment there.
