Prof Mohanty being introduced to the Dalai Lama. This was probably his last photo before being admitted to hospital, where he passed away.

It is with profound grief that we share the news of Prof Sachidananda Mohanty's passing on Oct 27, 2026, in Shimla. He served as Adviser to Muse India since Jun 2020 and as its Contributing Editor for Odia Literature since its inception in 2005. We received the sad news with disbelief, as we were unaware of his illness and hospital admission. His condition at the hospital seems to have deteriorated very rapidly.

Widely respected across the country for his erudition, Prof Mohanty—Sachi to his colleagues, friends and students—was a distinguished academician, an eminent literary scholar, a cultural historian and a prolific writer with 29 books in English and Odia to his credit, with the 30^th book poised for release very soon. In its condolence message, The Hindu called him ‘A Scholar of Neglected Histories,’ saying, ‘his work will continue to inform studies of women’s writing, colonial culture, and Odisha’s intellectual history. … He pursued a purpose to widen our understanding of India’s intellectual past and bring overlooked writers, ideas, and traditions into fuller view.’

He served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Odisha; was Chairman of the National Focus Group for implementation of the National Education Policy, appointed by the Ministry of Education, Government of India; and a Member of the University Grants Commission. He was formerly Professor and Head, Department of English, University of Hyderabad, and a Governing Board Member of Auroville Foundation. He was also a Member of India’s Commission of Education to UNESCO, Consultant to the Ford Foundation, and Senior Academic Associate at the American Studies Research Centre, [ASRC], Hyderabad.

He was the recipient of several national and international awards, including those from the British Council, Charles Wallace, the Salzburg, the Katha and the Fulbright [twice]. During a career of more than three decades, he has carved out a place for himself in the field of literature, culture, education and public service. He has been a widely respected public intellectual and an active voice in leading forums including The Hindu; The Indian Express; India Today; New Quest; Economic and Political Weekly; Seminar Magazine: India International Centre Quarterly; Toronto South Asia Review; Frontline; and South Asia Review. He published more than 100 research articles.

He lectured at leading universities in India and abroad, including the City University of New York, Pittsburgh University, California State University, Australian National University at Canberra, and the National University of Singapore.

He was an Adviser to leading Indian Universities and delivered invited / Endowment lectures at the national and international level.

His contributions to the academic genres of travel writing, cosmopolitanism, institutional history, early women’s writing in Eastern India, and postcolonial/ cultural history of India have been widely recognised as path-breaking.

At Pondicherry, he grew up under the direct influence of the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and many of the direct disciples of Sri Aurobindo, and was an authority on his writings.

Condoling his passing, the former Education Minister of India, Sri Dharmendra Pradhan (himself from Odisha), said, “Through his pioneering work, he brought Odisha’s rich literary and cultural heritage to wider recognition - his contributions to literature, cultural history and the humanities enriched India’s intellectual landscape and academic traditions.”

For Muse India, Sachi curated several features on the rich medieval and contemporary literature and cultural heritage of Odisha. 

For us, Sachi was a close and dear colleague and a sagacious guru, who was down-to-earth despite his enormous standing in the academic world. He was dignified and unassuming, and an epitome of simplicity, humility and discipline. He was courteous to a fault.

An outstanding scholar, Sachi’s passing will be mourned by a legion of his friends and students. For me, it is a huge personal loss of a longstanding friend. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

GSP Rao

Founder and Managing Editor, Muse India
Founder & Former Director, Hyderabad Literary Festival