Book Details:

• Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
• Language: English
• Pages: 84
• Cover: Paperback
• Dimensions: 21.5 cm x 14 cm (8.50 x 5.50 inch)
• Weight: 140 gm
• Edition: 2018
• ISBN: 9789387989627

About the Book:

This book offers a comprehensive look at the life and work of Professor Upendra Thakur (1929-1991), one of the leading historians of his time. A distinguished academic, Thakur held prominent positions as a University Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian and Asian Studies, as well as the Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at Magadh University, Bodhgaya. He also served as the Director of the Nava Nalanda Mahavihar in Nalanda.

Professor Thakur was a scholar with a global perspective, having traveled extensively to major countries like Germany, the U.S.S.R., Japan, and Australia for lectures, conferences, and seminars. His contributions to historical research, particularly in the fields of Jainism, Buddhism, and Asian culture, are remarkable. He was also a member of the prestigious Explorers Club in New York and was awarded the Akbar Silver Medal by the Numismatic Society of India in 1980.

Through this book, readers gain insight into Thakur’s multifaceted life, his profound influence on historical studies, and his dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of Mithila.

About the Author:

Shiva Kumar Mishra (born 1965) is an accomplished historian and researcher with a deep focus on the cultural heritage of Bihar, particularly the Mithila region. Since 1990, Mishra has worked as a Research Associate with the Bihar Research Society, and later as Assistant Curator at the Maharajadhiraj Lakshmiswar Singh Museum in Darbhanga.

He has authored several works, including Educational Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India and Mithila Rajya eka Aitihäsika Tathya. Mishra has produced more than 50 research papers on the cultural heritage of Bihar, and he continues to serve as the editor of Mithila Bharati, a publication by the Maithili Sahitya Sansthan, Patna.