Renowned educationist and folklorist Dr Birendra Nath Dutta passed away at the age of 90 on Monday morning.

According to sources, Dutta breathed his last at 7 am this morning in Dispur Polyclinic Hospital where he had been undergoing treatment since October 19.

His body has been taken to his residence in Silpukhuri and the last rites will be performed at 2 pm at Navagraha cemetery.

Meanwhile, Dutta’s son, Dr. Uddalak Dutta (a business firm owner in Delhi) and two daughters, Dr Sudeshna Choudhury and Dr Upasana Dutta (Professor at a college in Murshidabad) arrived after receiving information about their father’s demise.

Born in 1933, Dr Dutta was awarded Ph.D. degree by Gauhati University in 1974 for the thesis entitled ‘A Study of the Folk Culture of the Goalpara District of Assam’.

Dr Dutta is a recipient of several prestigious awards including Padma Shri Award (2009), Mahapurush Shri Shri Madhavadeva Award (2006), Ajan Pir Award (2008), Leo Advertising Silpi Sanman (2010), Manik Chandra Chowdhury Memorial Award (2011), Tagore Ratna Award of Sangeet Natak Akademi (2011).

The educationist also served as the president of Asam Sahitya Sabha for a two-year term from 2003-05.