Rajendra Prasad Das Biography 
Professor Rajendra Prasad Das was a leading archeologist from India. He hailed from Odisha. He also served as a professor of this subject, teaching students. An authority on the construction history of Hindu temples, he was also a historian and writer who authored many novels. His work Aji Kali Pa’ridina (1986) received the Orissa Sahitya Academi Award for fiction in 1988. He published his collection of short-stories Cahinle Akasa in 1992. He co-authored Bharati Bharata Itihasa aside Brajendra Kumar Sethi which was included in the high school syllabus – the first regional language textbook which described the rebellion of 1857 as the "First National Campaign of Independence”. He died in May 2006.
Rajendra Prasad Das was born on the 15 July 1930, in Samia village of Jajpur District of present day Orissa. Both his parents, Alekh Prasad Das and Snehalata Devi were disciples of Mahatma Gandhi and freedom fighters too. Das was married to Saudamini Devi, an artist and writer. As a historian and archeologist he has given immense contributions to this field. His detailed study on the construction of ancient Indian temples, discovery of a chalcolithic site in the Prehistoric Ganges Basin of India, deciphering and transcribing the texts written in Karani script etched on palm leaves etc are among his contributions to the field.
He worked with Archeological Survey of India, and was also a respected academician. He published his findings as New Light on the Sun Temple of Konarka in 1972. He transcribed 17th century Odia work, Silparatnakosa in collaboration with Bettina Baumer, an Austrian scholar of religion. He was one among the group to translate Silpa Prakasa, based on palm-leaf-manuscripts. Baumer and Sadananda Das were rest two researchers who worked on this subject.
Published: July 28, 2018
Updated: July 28, 2018
