Rahul Sankrityayan

Rahul Sankrityayan Biography

Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan is known as ‘The Father of Hindi Travel literature’. He spent 45 years in travels worldwide and one of the most widely traveled scholars of India. He is referred to as the 'Greatest Scholar' (Mahapandit) for his scholarship and was a polymath and polyglot. He was also an Indian nationalist who wrote speeches and writings against British and got jailed for 3 years. For his contributions to Hindi travel Literature, he has been awarded with Rahul Sankrityayan National Award by Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Government of India. He has also received Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Paryatan Puraskar from Ministry Of Tourism, Government of India.

Sankrityayan was born as Kedarnath Pandey on 9 April 1893 in UP. His father, Govardhan Pandey was a farmer. He had 3 younger brothers. His childhood days were spent in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He lost both his parents at a younger age and was brought up by his grandmother. After schooling at his village, he mastered several languages as well as art of photography.

He travelled countrywide as well as foreign countries like Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Iran, China and USSR. While traveling, he mostly used surface transport. He travelled Tibet as a Buddhist monk and later he got attracted to communist principles. He made several trips to Tibet. His books related to Tibet are -    Tibbati Bal-Siksha, Pathavali in 3 volumes, Tibbati Vyakaran, Tibbat May Budh Dharm, Lhasa ki and    Himalaya Parichay in 2 parts. Teen Natak and Panch Natak are his plays in Bhojpuri.

His autobiography was published in the title - Meri Jivan Yatra in 3 volumes. Other works include a few published novels, short stories and biographies. He started writing during his 20s and has covered subjects of sociology, history, philosophy, Buddhism, lexicography, grammar, folklore, science, drama, and politics. But many of his works are still to be published.  

Published: N/A

Updated: December 30, 2013