Keonjhar: Padma Shri winner, renowned puppet dance artiste Maguni Charan Kuanr was admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Keonjhar Tuesday after he suddenly fell ill.
Later in the day, he was shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar for better treatment facilities.
Keonjhar sub-collector Trilochan Mohanty, district culture officer Ramesh Chandra Naik, district information and public relations officer Sarthak Ray, vice- chairman, Keonjhargarh Municipality, Baroda Das visited the hospital here. They wished Maguni a speedy recovery.
“His condition is stable. However, he has been shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar for better treatment facilities,” informed Naik later in the day.
Maguni is not only a puppeteer but also master in wood carving and making of mud idols. Born February 12, 1937 in Baidaraj Sahi locality of Keonjhar old town, Maguni has spent most of his life to preserve the endangered wooden puppet dance art form. He gained popularity and fame by performing the puppet dance (locally called ‘Kandhei Nacha’) on more than 45 different mythological and social themes. Maguni has also sensitised people on various issues through puppet dance.
“During programmes, sitting behind the curtain, he conducts the movement of the puppets, recites poems and dialogues and also emits sounds of birds and animals as the situation demands. He has taken the art form to a new level with his troupe ‘Sri Viswakarma Kalakunj’”, said Bharat Patra, an admirer.
Maguni has been the recipient of various awards both in Odisha and outside the state. He was honoured in 2004 by the ‘Central Sangeet Drama Akademi’ and in 2014 by the ‘State Sangeet Akademi’. In 2023, he was honoured with the Padma Shri.
PNN