BY VEENA RAO
Atlanta, GA, August 16, 2025: The Atlanta Indian American community is mourning the loss of one of its most respected figures, Dr. Bhagirath Majmudar, who passed away on the morning of August 15, 2025, at 4 a.m. He was surrounded by the love of his family and community until the very end.
The date of his passing, India’s Independence Day, carries a symbolic weight. As family and friends shared, it was as if his soul chose “Swatantra Divas” — a day of freedom — to embrace its own liberation.
Dr. Majmudar originally hailed from India, where he earned his first M.D. degree before immigrating to the United States in 1966 to pursue a second M.D. in pathology. In 1971, he joined the faculty of Emory University School of Medicine, where he would remain for more than four decades, ultimately becoming Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Associate Professor (Emeritus) of Gynecology & Obstetrics.
At Emory, he was revered as a gifted educator who blended scientific rigor with compassion. He received the university’s highest teaching accolade, the Evangeline Papageorge Award, as well as numerous “Outstanding Teacher” recognitions from both students and residents. In 2017, the Georgia Obstetrical & Gynecological Society honored him with its Distinguished Service Award for his lifetime contributions to women’s health and medical education.
Beyond academia, Dr. Majmudar was a man of many callings. A Hindu priest and Sanskrit scholar, he officiated at more than 350 weddings, many of them interfaith, always bringing warmth, wisdom, and inclusivity to the families he served. He was also a sought-after voice in interfaith dialogues, lending his perspective during the Atlanta Olympics and in countless community forums. A prolific writer, he published over 70 research papers and book chapters, as well as plays and literary works in English, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Gujarati. He also served as a consultant for the World Health Organization in Geneva and advised Georgia’s public health initiatives on cervical cancer.
Dr. Majmudar is survived by his wife, Dr. Uma Majmudar, herself a noted scholar and author who earned her doctorate from Emory University in 1996 and has made significant contributions to cultural and literary life. Together, they raised two daughters, instilling in them a bilingual, bicultural, and bireligious identity, blending Indian traditions with American values. The couple were also blessed with grandchildren, to whom they imparted the same cultural fluency and spiritual grounding.
In his passing, Atlanta and the wider Indian diaspora have lost a towering figure, but his legacy will live on in the countless lives he shaped — as a doctor, teacher, priest, mentor, and friend.
As one mourner reflected: “What a day he chose to exit this mortal body — India’s Independence Day — Swatantra Divas for his soul in the truest sense.”
Cover photos courtesy: Khabar Magazine.
