Sambalpur, Dec 15: Padma Shri awardee and celebrated lyricist Mitrabhanu Gountia, best known for penning the evergreen Sambalpuri song ‘Rangabati’, has been admitted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla in Odisha’s Sambalpur district following chest pain. He was hospitalised on December 10, and doctors said that his condition remains stable, family sources said on Monday.

Gountia, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2000, has been a towering figure in Odisha’s cultural landscape. His iconic composition Rangabati was first recorded for All India Radio, Sambalpur’s Surmalika programme in 1975–76, and later re-recorded in disc format at the Indian Record Company, Kolkata in 1978–79. The song’s immense popularity led to his native village Bilung being renamed Rangabati Bilung by the Revenue Department in 2017.

Born in 1942, Gountia began writing at the age of 15 while studying in Class IX. His early works include Masa Odasa Kali and Parikhya Chinta. A passionate advocate for nature and social causes, his songs and plays have carried messages on forest conservation, pollution control, education, and literacy. His notable creations include Malli, Lalita, Mohini, Kaeri, Draupadi Haran, Jharbania, Haelu, Pakhal Khuri Thi Mahara, Rakshya Kabacha, Gaon Amar Maa, and Jhee Ratan.

Over the decades, Gountia has been recognised with several honours, including the Odisha State Sangeet Natak Academy Award, the Akashvani National Award for music, and a felicitation by Sambalpur University. In 2003, he was also conferred the Odisha State Teachers Award for his contribution to education.

His hospitalisation has drawn concern from admirers across Odisha, who continue to celebrate his legacy as a cultural icon whose works resonate far beyond the state.