Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today expressed his profound grief over the sad demise of eminent Odissi exponent Harekrushna Behera who passed away at AIIMS in New Delhi following a massive cardiac arrest.

In his condolence message, Patnaik said that Behera had dedicated his life for dissemination and popularisation of Odissi. He had earned name and fame in the country and abroad as an eminent dance guru of Odissi.

With his death, Odisha has lost a great dance exponent, Patnaik added. In his message, steel and mines and parliamentary affairs minister Raghunath Mohanty said that a number of Indian and non-Indian artistes trained at the Odissi Kendra set up by Behera, have earned worldwide acclaim in Odissi.

His death has rendered irreparable loss not only for Odisha and India but also for the whole world, Mohanty said in his statement.

Shocked by the demise of the eminent Odissi guru, forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra said that Behera’s role in propagating the nuances of Odissi dance in India and abroad was remarkable. With his death, the Odisha has lost a great exponent whose void cannot be filled, Mishra said.