Bhubaneswar, May 9: Eminent stone sculptor, Rajya Sabha member and Padma Vibhushan awardee Raghunath Mohapatra passed away at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar where he was taking treatment for COVID-19. He was 78.
Mohapatra had been hospitalised for more than two weeks after getting infected with the deadly virus.
On May 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Mohapatra’s son and enquired about his health conditions.
He was awarded with Padma Vibhusan in 2013. He has trained more than 2,000 students and had restored many monuments. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.
Born into the Viswakarma family in Puri’s Pathuria Sahi on March 24, 1943, Mohapatra has studied till Class-III.
His distinct style and versatility has catapulted him into the big league with several projects like statue of Sun God at Parliament Hall, New Delhi, Buddha statues at Dhauligiri and a black granite lotus at late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial to his credit.
