Bhubaneswar: Eminent researcher of Jagannath cult and former Srimandir administrator Rabindra Narayan Mishra breathed his last today evening. The octogenarian died while undergoing treatment in a private hospital here. He was suffering from old age-related complications and was 87.

Coincidentally, today was the former administrator’s birthday. He was a supreme devotee of the Lord Jagannath. The elderly man was a columnist writing for ‘Akasha Deepa’. He used to write also for a periodical named ‘Kathatie Kahun’, his family sources said.

A pall of gloom descended on the fraternity of intellectuals after news of Mishra’s demise spread.

It is pertinent to mention here that the researcher had an in-depth knowledge of the temple culture and traditions in Odisha. He has penned several articles on the Jagannath cult.

Mishra was a native of Kudiari village near Jatani of Khordha district. He was the first headmaster of Kudiari high school. After retirement, he stayed in VSS Nagar of Bhubaneswar.