Eminent poet Sankha Ghosh dies of Covid-19 in Kolkata

Celebrated Bengali poet Sankha Ghosh has died of Covid-19 in Kolkata, India, reports India Today. He was 89.

He breathed his last around 11 am on Wednesday.

Sankha Ghosh, a recipient of the coveted Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi awards, had been suffering from age-related ailments for a while. He was also admitted to the hospital in January this year.

Sankha Ghosh tested positive for coronavirus on April 14. He was in home isolation. On Tuesday, his health deteriorated. On Wednesday morning, he was taken off the ventilator.

Sankha Ghosh belonged to the era of Bengali poets after Jibanananda Das. Ghosh had also spent several years teaching in Delhi University, University of Iowa and Visva Bharati.

Sankha Ghosh received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977 for Babar-er Prarthana. He was honoured with a second Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999. In 2011, Sankha Ghosh was conferred with the Padma Bhushan.