[ALOCHONA] Suchitra Mitra, the legendary exponent of Rabindra Sangeet died

 Suchitra Mitra

KOLKATA: January3, 2011 - Suchitra Mitra, the legendary exponent of Rabindra Sangeet (Rabindranath Tagore's songs), died in her South Kolkata residence on Monday after a protracted illness. She was 86.

Her death in the 150th birth anniversary year of Tagore, the Nobel laureate, did more than just cast a gloom over the world of culture and art; it marked the end of an era.

Eminent personalities from different walks of life flocked to her residence to pay their last respects on hearing of her passing away.

President Pratibha Patil, in a condolence message from Goa, described Suchitra Mitra as a "renowned exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, a great name in the field of the performing arts, a creative genius and a versatile personality". "Her death will create a void in the world of culture and art", she added.

Suchitra Mitra, through her inimitable renditions of Tagore's songs, had enthralled music lovers worldwide, not just Bengalis or those in the country, Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said in his condolence message.

"The soul of Tagore's songs was well and deeply manifest in her own style of rendition…I was acquainted with her for a long period….Along with her numerous admirers, students, close relatives and the ordinary people, I too mourn her passing away", he added.

Recipient of the Padma Shri award in 1973, she was also presented the Tagore Hymn Prize in 1945 from the London Tagore Hymn Society, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986 and several others including the 'Desikottam' conferred on her by the Visva Bharati University. From childhood, Suchitra Mitra cultivated her love for the songs and poetry of Tagore. She was given her first lessons in Rabindra Sangeet by Pankaj Mullick.

Acclaimed as one of the leading exponents and authorities on Rabindra Sangeet, Suchitra Mitra was surrounded by the aura of Rabindranath Tagore and his music from a very early age. Her father, the celebrated litterateur, Saurindra Mohan Mukherjee, was a close associate of the Tagore family of Jorasanko. Suchitra Mitra's natural aptitude in music was recognized by Pankaj Kumar Mullick , who gave her her first lesson in Rabindra Sangeet.

In 1941, Suchitra Mitra received a scholarship to Sangeet Bhavan in Santiniketan, where she had the rare privilege of learning from the greatest names in the world of music - Shrimati Indradevi Chaudhury, Shri Sahntidev Ghosh and Shri Shailajaranjan Mazumdar. Having obtained her Diploma from Santiniketan, Suchitra Mitra returned to Calcutta in 1945. Later in her life, she received her Master Degree in Bengali from Calcutta University. Shrimati Mitra's inherent love and commitment to Tagore's music encourage her to found, Rabitirtha, which today stands out significantly as one of the leading schools of Rabindra Sangeet in the city. Founder and Principal, Suchitra Mitra is still an active figure and inspiration behind this establishment. Shrimati Mitra's dedication, sincerity and comprehension of the subtle nuances underlying Gurudev's songs is that of a 'sadhak'.

Suchitra Mitra's reputation as a successful artiste resulted in her appointment as Lecturer in Rabindra Bharati University, where she held the prestigious office of Head of the Department of Music. In recognition of her creative talents, Suchitra Mitra received a number of awards, amongst them were the Tagore Hymn Prize in 1945 from London. Suchitra was honored with the Padma Shri in 1973 by the Government of India and in 1986 received the Sangit Natak Academy Award, and has the distinction of the recipients of the HMV Golden Disc Award, Shiromoni Puraskar from Asian Paints , Desikottam from Viswa-Bharati, Allauddin Puraskar from the Govt. of West Bengal and accolades apart. Suchitra's greatest achievements has been in her ability to immortalize Tagore's songs both at home and abroad to people of all ages. Invited to the USSR and Hungary, Suchitra Mitra spread the message of Gurudev to the western audience. With the Rabitirtha troupe, she performed Tagore's dance dramas in the USA and Canada. Suchitra Mitra is the author of many books in Bengali on Rabindra Sangeet, and has written a book of poems for children. She has directed her effort towards compiling an Encyclopedia of Tagore's songs for students and researchers. Suchitra Mitra's repertoire and expertise, coupled with her ability to inculcate in others the love of Rabindra Sangeet is unparalleled and establishes her as one of the greatest names in the world of performing arts.

She was conferred D.Litt.degree by Rabindra Bharati University & Burdwan University. She retired in 1984 from Rabindra Bharati as a Professor and the Head of Rabindra Sangeet Department

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