Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar

Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar (1837–1925) was an eminent Indian scholar, orientalist, and social reformer whose pioneering work laid foundational contributions to Sanskrit studies and Indology. Born in Malvan, Maharashtra, he was among the first graduates of Bombay University in 1862 and later earned a PhD from the University of Göttingen. Bhandarkar served as a professor of Sanskrit at Elphinstone College and Deccan College, Pune, and as Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University. His scholarly contributions include seminal publications like Early History of the Dekkan and Vaisnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems, applying rigorous philological and historical methods to ancient Indian civilization. As a social reformer, he co-founded the Prarthana Samaj in 1867, advocating for widow remarriage, women's education, and against child marriage and the caste system. The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, established in 1917, commemorates his legacy. He edited Bhavabhuti Malati-Madhav, a classical Sanskrit play with critical and explanatory commentary.