It came as a profound shock to learn of the passing of Prof. Hermann Kulke. I first met him in 1999 at the conference on the Orissa Research Project in Kiel, and as recently as the summer of 2024, we had a long and meaningful telephone conversation. His death is an immense loss to the fields of Indology and Indian history—particularly the religious history of Odisha.

I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. Scholars and fellow researchers in Odisha are also mourning his departure. A condolence meeting was recently held in his honor under the auspices of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, attended by historians, scholars, and literary figures who came together to pay tribute to his extraordinary contributions.

JeeÙegjefveuecece=leceLesob Yemceevleb Mejerjced ~

›eâlees mcej ke=âleb mcej ›eâlees mcej ke=âleb mcej ~~

vāyur-anilam-amṛtam-athedaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram,

om krato smara kṛtaṃ smara krato smara kṛtaṃ smara.

(Īśāvāsyopaniṣad 17)

Let the Great Energy (take the departed soul) to immortality and let the body of the departed soul which is to end in ashes be resolved into air (and other elements). O Creator, do remember thy created!

Let the breath (vāyuḥ) merge into the immortal air (anilam amṛtam); let this body end in ashes (bhasmāntaṃ śarīram) and be resolved into air and other elements. Om! O mind (krato), remember! Remember your deeds (kṛtaṃ smara)! O mind, remember! Remember your deeds!

Ô शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Ô

***************************************

Dr. Sadananda Das

Institute of Indology and Central Asian Studies
Leipzig University
Schiller Straße 6,
04109 Leipzig, Germany
Tel. 0341-97 37 126 (Off.)
Fax. 0341-97 37 148 (Off.)
sdas@uni-leipzig.de
http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~indzaw/doc/staff/das

On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 2:24 PM Harry Falk via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:

Gestern erreichte mich die Nachricht, dass unser allseits beliebter und
geehrter Kollege, Lehrer und Freund
Prof.Dr. Hermann Kulke
am 1. März 2026 in Kiel verstorben ist.
Die Beerdigung wird am 10. April in Bussau stattfinden.

Für alles Weitere steht die Tochter Annette Jehle
tettejehle@icloud.com / 0049-170.351.12.62
zur Verfügung.
शाश्वतं शान्तिं प्राप्नुयात्।

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