Well-known Marathi poet and lyricist Namdeo Mahanor passed away after a prolonged illness in Pune today morning. He was 81. Apart from writing poems mainly on nature and its elements and lyrics in Marathi, Mahanor was a down-to-earth farmer. He was also a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. In addition to writing books on various subjects including farming, he has also written lyrics for eleven Marathi movies. Mahanor was honoured with numerous awards including Padma Shri in 1991 and Sahitya Akademi Puraskar for his book Paanzad in 2000.