BHUBANESWAR: 87-year-old renowned puppeteer Maguni Charan Kuanr of Odisha's Keonjhar passed away on Saturday. President Droupadi Murmu paid her respects to the bereaved family.
"Sad to learn about the demise of Shri Maguni Charan Kuanr, an eminent puppeteer from Keonjhar, Odisha. He was awarded the Padma Shri for the promotion of the traditional puppet dance form. He leaves behind an inspiring legacy. Condolences to his family, friends and admirers," a post on the 'X' account of the President of India read.
Over the last seven decades, Kuanr created his puppets, designed costumes and narrated the plays while experimenting with different sizes of puppets.
In 2023, he received Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian awards, for his lifelong contribution to the field of art for keeping the art of rod puppetry alive.
He also received the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Samman from Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi award.