Raghunath Panigrahi

🪔 About

Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi (August 10, 1932 – August 25, 2013) was a celebrated Indian classical vocalist, composer, and music director, primarily known for his profound contributions to Odissi music. Born in Gunupur, Rayagada, Odisha, he hailed from a family with a long lineage in Odissi music. He received his initial musical training from his father, Pt. Nilamani Panigrahi, who preserved traditional Odissi melodies of the Gita Govinda from the Jagannatha Temple in Puri. He further honed his skills under the tutelage of Odissi music exponents Pt. Narasingha Nandasarma and Pt. Biswanatha Das. Panigrahi initially pursued a successful career as a playback singer in Odia, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films, becoming a regular artist for All India Radio since 1948. However, he chose to leave his flourishing film career in Chennai to dedicate himself to providing vocal accompaniment for his wife, the legendary Odissi danseuse Sanjukta Panigrahi. Together, the duo became instrumental in popularizing Odissi dance and music globally from the 1960s to the 1990s. Widely known as 'Gitagobinda Panigrahi' for his exquisite renditions of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda, he made a lifetime contribution to promoting and propagating the poet's works and the cult of Lord Jagannatha. After Sanjukta Panigrahi's demise in 1997, he continued his artistic journey, associating with Nrityagram and composing music for many of their productions. In 1999, he founded the Sanjukta Panigrahi Memorial Trust to further the cause of Odissi dance, which, since 2001, has been awarding scholarships and awards of excellence to budding dancers. The trust was later renamed the 'Sanjukta and Raghunath Panigrahi Cultural Heritage Foundation' in 2012 by his elder son, Parthasarathi Panigrahi. Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi passed away on August 25, 2013, in Bhubaneswar. Awards & Honours: Sur Mani (1968), Award from the Government of France (1976), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1976), State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993), Jayadeva Samman (2008), Lifetime Achievement award of Banichitra Awards (2008), Padma Shri (2010), Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) (2010), Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) (2011), Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) (2013), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.