Pandit Harihara Dash, an eminent Sanskrit Scholar was born on 1845 in Sri Ramachandrapaur Shasan near Sakhigopal of Puri District, opened a Sanskrit class at Puri . It became a school in 1888, and directly came under the Supervision of the Committee consisting of the district authorities headed by the Collector. It transfored into college named as Puri Sanskrit College on 1.4.1918 to the untiring efforts of Mahamahopadhyaya Sri Sadashiva Mishra .
The Govt. of India basing on the recommendations of the Sanskrit Commission (1956-57) established Rashtriya Sanskrit Sanskthan on 15th October 1971 as an autonomous institution under the MHRD has delclared it as Deemed University on 7th May 2000 .

Establishment of Sahitya Department

The Sahitya Department was established on 1st April 1918 in the Auguest presence of Mahamahopadyaya Sri Sadashiva Mishra , who was also known as Kavya Kanta.
Then the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan has been implementing successfully for promotion , propagation and popularization of Sahitya department of Sri Sadashiva Campus , Puri , Odisha.

Incumbency of HODs

1. Pandit Narayana Mahapatra
2. Pandit Bhagabata Prasad Tripathy
3. Prof. Ketaki Nayak
4. Dr. V.P.Himanshu
5. Dr. U.N.Jha
6. Dr. C.Upendra Rao
7. Dr. Suryamani Rath
8. Dr. Sushanta Kumar Raj
9. Prof. Suryamani Rath