Today is 200th birth anniversary of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Today is the 200th birth anniversary of educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Vidyasagar played a pivotal role in helping widows getting remarried. He also advocated for women’s education while he also worked towards ending the stigmatised practice of child marriage.

When it comes to education, Vidyasagar’s efforts to simplify and modernise Bengali prose were significant. He simplified the Bengali alphabet and type and hence he is considered the father of Bengali prose.

Vidyasagar is the epithet that was given to Ishwar Chandra by the Sanskrit College, Calcutta, from where he graduated, in recognition of his excellent performance in Sanskrit studies and philosophy.

Born as Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay on September 26, 1820 Vidyasagar is best known for his works as a social reformer. He was a Sanskrit scholar, writer, educator and philanthropist in one line.

He passed away on July 29, 1891 at the age of 70 in Kolkata of liver cancer.