R. G. Bhandarkar

R. G. Bhandarkar (1837–1925), born Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, was a distinguished Indian scholar, orientalist, and social reformer. He was among the first graduates of Bombay University in 1862 and earned his Master's degree in Sanskrit in 1866, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in 1885. Bhandarkar taught at Elphinstone College and Deccan College, retiring as Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University in 1894. His profound contributions to Oriental studies led to the establishment of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune in 1913. A prominent social reformer, he advocated for widow remarriage and opposed the caste system and child marriage. Bhandarkar authored significant works such as "Wilson Philological Lectures: On Sanskrit and the Derived Languages," "First Book of Sanskrit," and "Vaisnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems."