Altaf Mian, the artisan who made the raas chakra for the famous Raas Utsav of Cooch Behar, breathed his last at Cooch Behar's MJN Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night. He was 70.

The raas chakra is a giant prayer wheel that would be placed on the premises of Madanmohan temple in Cooch Behar and would be rotated by thousands of devotees during the fortnight-long Raas Utsav every year.

Chief minster Mamata Banerjee, in her condolence message, stated that Mian “…was one of the bearers of Bengal’s secular tradition".

Sources said that Mian was under treatment at the hospital for the past week.

His body was first taken to his residence at Harinchowra village of Cooch Behar.

Kunal Banerjee, the subdivisional officer of Cooch Behar, Rabindranath Ghosh, the chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality, Partha Pratim Roy, the chairman of North Bengal State Transport Corporation and many others went to the spot to pay their last respects.

He was buried at the graveyard near Cooch Behar Salbagan on Sunday afternoon.

The famous artisan had been suffering from multiple physical ailments for the past several days. On February 25, after his condition deteriorated at his residence, he was admitted to the medical college and hospital.

Sources in the hospital said that a seven-member-medical team had been formed for his treatment.

“He was engaged in making the raas chakra for the past 40 years. The residents of the entire Cooch Behar are shocked by the demise of this artisan. We have extended our full cooperation for his treatment and we will continue it for his family members,” Ghosh, the chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality, said.