Noted Odia singer Chitta Jena passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here in the early hours on Tuesday. He was 76 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. His other daughter, who married cine actor Mihir Das, had passed away a few years ago.
The mortal remains of the singer were consigned to flames at his native village Poparda near here where his elder son lit the funeral pyre in the presence of hundreds of his fans, friends and relatives.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several other political leaders expressed their condolences to the bereaved family.
Earlier when the news of his demise spread, several members of the Odia film industry, including veteran singers Prafulla Kar and Pranab Patnaik, rushed to his Ranihat residence here to pay their last respects to him.
An accredited All India Radio artist, Chitta Jena had served as a State Government employee in the Agriculture Department. Born in 1942, he first lent his voice for Odia film “Mana Akash” in 1974 and then went on to entertain with his melodious voice for over four decades.
Some of his popular numbers are “Rupa Heithiba Labanyabati”, “Mo Priya Tharu Kie Adhika Sundar” and “Na Ja Gori Balijatera Dekhi”. For his notable contributions to the Odia music, Chitta Jena was awarded with the Prafulla Kar Samman.