Ludhiana: Acclaimed Punjabi writer and poet Surjit Patar has passed away at the age of 79 due to a heart attack on Saturday at his residence in Ludhiana.
Patar, who penned ‘Lafzan Di Dargah’, a popular poetry, was honoured with Padma Shri in the field of Literature and Education in 2012. He started writing poetry in his mid-sixties.
Dr Patar was born in Patar Kalan village of Jalandhar on January 14, 1945. He completed his master’s degree in Punjabi from Punjabi University, Patiala and PHD from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He had joined the academic profession and retired as a professor from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.
Expressing grief over his demise, two-time Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said: “End of an era, as famous Punjabi writer and poet Padma Shri Surjit Patar Sahib has passed away today. My heartfelt condolences to his family and millions of fans worldwide. Punjab has lost an icon today. RIP!”