Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Three eminent personalities from Odisha today received Padma Shri from President Ram Nath Kovind at a function held in Rashtrapati Bhavan in national capital.

They are: Sisir Purushottam Mishra, Bhabani Charan Pattnaik and Chandrasekhar Rath (posthumous).

Wife of Prof Chandrasekhar Rath received the highest civilian award from Kovind posthumously. He was awarded for his contribution in the field of literature and education. Prof Rath was an Odia literature legend and was a writer of novels, short stories, essays, poems and translations in English and Odia.

Similarly, the two other awardees – Sisir Purushottam Mishra and Bhabani Charan Pattnaik also received the coveted award.

Bhabani Charan Pattnaik, Gandhian and eminent freedom fighter, received the award for social service. During freedom struggle, he led farmers during Quit India movement. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha thrice.

Odisha-born Sisir Purushottam Mishra has been bestowed with the award for Art (Cinema). A pioneer of modern Odia film-making, he is known as the Dronacharya of Odia Cinema. He is currently residing in Mumbai.

Earlier last month, eminent sculptor Prabhakar Maharana and Kotpad weaver Gobardhan Panika were conferred Padma Shri awards by President.