CM Majhi mourns death of Pala maestro Pandit Jagannath Behera
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi mourned the death of Pandit Jagannath Behera, a Sangeet Natak Akademi-awarded veteran of the Pala folk tradition, calling it an irreplaceable loss for the state's cultural world and praying for the departed soul.
Key Takeaways
Pandit Jagannath Behera , a veteran Pala singer and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award recipient, has passed away.
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi called the loss 'irreplaceable for Odisha's cultural world.' Behera was recognised for his contribution to the preservation and promotion of Pala , Odisha's ancient narrative folk form.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi , established in 1952 , is India's national apex body for performing arts recognition.
Pala combines devotional song, verse dialogue, and percussion rooted in Puranic themes, and faces growing challenges of sustenance as senior exponents pass on.
Odisha has lost one of the last great custodians of its oldest narrative folk tradition. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief on Monday, 3 August 2026, over the passing of Pandit Jagannath Behera, a veteran Pala singer and recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, calling his death 'an irreplaceable loss for Odisha's cultural world.'
The voice that kept Pala alive
Writing in Odia, CM Majhi said he was 'extremely saddened' on hearing the news of Behera's passing. He paid tribute to the artist's 'unparalleled contribution' to the preservation, promotion, and propagation of Pala — Odisha's traditional narrative folk form that weaves together devotional song, verse dialogue, and percussion, drawing largely on Puranic themes. 'His dedicated artistic practice and scholarship has enriched our cultural world,' Majhi wrote, offering condolences to the bereaved family and praying to Lord Jagannath for the eternal peace of Behera's soul.
What the Sangeet Natak Akademi honour meant
The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's apex national institution for music, dance, and drama — established in 1952 — confers its award on artists whose careers represent a lifetime of contribution to the performing arts. For a Pala exponent to receive it is a rare national acknowledgement of a form that has historically been passed down orally through village performance circuits rather than institutional channels. Behera's recognition placed Pala on the same stage as classical traditions that command far greater institutional patronage.
Pala's precarious place in Odisha's cultural fabric
Pala is among Odisha's most ancient living folk forms, yet it faces the familiar pressures of an oral tradition in a media-saturated era: shrinking audiences, fewer young practitioners, and limited documentation. Senior exponents like Behera served not just as performers but as living archives — repositories of lyrical vocabulary, melodic structures, and narrative conventions that cannot easily be recovered once lost. His death narrows that circle further. Odisha governments have periodically recognised Pala exponents through state and national awards, but the broader challenge of sustaining the tradition in performance — not merely in archives — remains open.
Point of View
But institutional support rarely extends to sustaining the living tradition they represent. CM Majhi's condolence follows a well-established pattern of state-level acknowledgement for senior folk exponents in Odisha, yet the harder question — whether the Odisha government will fund active Pala performance programmes or documentation efforts — remains unanswered. With each senior practitioner lost, the oral lineage of Pala contracts in ways that archival recordings cannot fully compensate for. The tribute is sincere; the structural challenge it points to is larger than any single tribute can address.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pandit Jagannath Behera?
Pandit Jagannath Behera was a veteran Odia Pala singer and a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India's highest national honour for performing arts, recognised for his lifelong contribution to the preservation and promotion of the Pala folk tradition.
What is Pala, the Odia folk form?
Pala is a traditional Odia narrative folk performance that combines devotional song, verse dialogue, and percussion, typically drawing on Puranic or religious themes. It is one of Odisha's oldest living folk traditions, historically performed in villages and passed down orally.
What did Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi say about Pandit Jagannath Behera's death?
CM Majhi said he was 'extremely saddened' by the news, called Behera's contribution to Pala 'unparalleled,' described his passing as 'an irreplaceable loss for Odisha's cultural world,' and prayed to Lord Jagannath for the peace of his soul.
What is the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is conferred by India's national academy for music, dance, and drama, established in 1952. It recognises artists for lifetime contributions to the performing arts and is considered one of the country's most prestigious cultural honours.
Why is the death of senior Pala artists significant for Odisha?
Senior Pala exponents are living repositories of an oral tradition — its lyrical vocabulary, melodic structures, and narrative conventions. Their passing narrows the circle of active practitioners who can transmit the form, making preservation efforts more urgent.
