Raghunath Mohanty was one of the revolutionary Odia poets during the freedom struggle who through his writings propagated the message of the freedom struggle and stimulated patriotic feelings among the people. He was born on 14 April 1900 in Kapaleswar village in Kendrapara district to Banamali Mohanty and Sundarmani Devi. After his early education in his village school, he passed matriculation in 1921. Since he had a melodious voice, in his childhood he developed the habit of reciting many traditional Odia epics which helped him to sing many patriotic songs during the freedom movement. Though after completing matriculation he was eligible for a government job, he joined the non-cooperation movement that year after being inspired by the call of Mahatma Gandhi to whom he admired as his ideologue. By singing patriotic songs he propagated the message of freedom and swaraj by moving from door to door. He also delivered his speech in public meetings by music which mesmerized the people to join the freedom struggle. In fact, he used music on many occasions to draw the attention of the people. The people were inspired by his book ‘Madhupagunjan’ which sold well. In August 1922, when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited Cuttack he was greeted in Swaraj Ashram by the recitation of a poem composed by Raghunath Mohanty which excited the Congress workers. On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on 2 October he also publicly recited his own poem in honour of Gandhi in the same year. This was an attempt to arouse the people to rally behind Gandhi’s leadership. While addressing in a meeting in Banki defying promulgation of section 144, he was severely beaten by the police for which he was injured. Though he could not work anymore there he came back to Kendrapara where he continued his activities. Throughout his revolutionary career, he was lodged in jail for two and half years with his wife. When undergoing prison term his house was destroyed by the police.
Although after independence he got the freedom fighter pension he had lost everything in his fight against the British government.