Virendra Nath Misra, one of the eminent archaeologists of post-Independent India and known as the ‘doyen of Indian prehistoric archaeology’, passed away in Pune on Saturday. He was 81.
According to medical sources, Dr. Misra succumbed to complications that arose from an open-heart surgery he underwent six weeks ago.
Prof. Misra was former director of Pune’s Deccan College, a focal point for his tryst with the city which spanned nearly six decades. He retired as Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology in 1995 and as the Director of Deccan College in 2000.
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He arrived in Pune in 1958 armed with a P.G. degree in Anthropology from Lucknow University and completed his Ph.D. degree in prehistoric archaeology in 1961 under the supervision of legendary archaeologist and founder-head of Archaeology Department, Professor H.D. Sankalia.
Prof. Misra is best known for his extensive field studies and excavations in Central India and Rajasthan, where he made several significant contributions to the reconstruction of India’s prehistoric past.