Mandan Mishra | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 June 1929 Hanutiya, Jaipur district, Rajasthan, India |
| Died | 15 November 2001 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Sanskrit scholar, academic administrator |
| Known for | Founding Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2000) |
Mandan Mishra (7 June 1929 – 15 November 2001) was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and the founder of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, a deemed university in New Delhi. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2000 for his contributions to Sanskrit education.<ref name="Padma Awards">"Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.</ref>
Early life and education
Mandan Mishra was born on 7 June 1929 in Hanutiya village near Jaipur, Rajasthan. His father Kanhiya Lal Mishra was a Hindu scholar and his mother Manni Devi was a homemaker. The eldest of five brothers and two sisters, he completed his primary education in Amarsar before studying under Shri Pattabhiramshastriji.<ref name="SLBSRSV">"Dr. Mandan Mishra". Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University. Retrieved 30 March 2025.</ref>
He earned his MA in Sanskrit from Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, and later obtained his PhD in Mīmāṃsā from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.<ref>Dwivedi, R.C. (2016). Studies in Mimamsa. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 428. ISBN 978-81-208-1109-6.</ref> He married Bharti Mishra and had one daughter and three sons.
Career
Early career
Mishra began as a lecturer at Maharaja Sanskrit College in Jaipur. In 1956, he joined the All India Sanskrit Literature Association (founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya), becoming its Minister-in-Chief in 1959.<ref name="SLBSRSV"/>
Establishment of Sanskrit Vidyapeetha
In 1961, following a session of the All India Sanskrit Literature Association in Calcutta attended by President Rajendra Prasad, plans were made to establish a Sanskrit institution in Delhi. At the request of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Narhar Vishnu Gadgil, Mishra was transferred from Rajasthan government service to establish what would become Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeetha in 1962.<ref name="SLBSRSV"/>
Mishra successfully advocated for increased government funding for Sanskrit institutions, raising the maximum allowance from ₹1,000 to more substantial support.<ref name="SLBSRSV"/>
Leadership roles
When the Vidyapeetha became a deemed university in 1989, Mishra served as its first Vice-Chancellor until 1995. From 1996-1999, he was Vice-Chancellor of Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi.<ref name="SLBSRSV"/>
He also established the Shri Pattaviram Shastri Veda Mimansa Research Centre in Varanasi and led academic delegations abroad, including to the United States, to promote Sanskrit.<ref name="SLBSRSV"/>
Death and legacy
Mishra died on 15 November 2001. The institution he founded continues as a leading center for Sanskrit studies, now renamed Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University.<ref>"About University". Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University. Retrieved 30 March 2025.</ref>
Awards
- Padma Shri (2000) - India's fourth highest civilian award<ref name="Padma Awards"/>