Birbal Sahni

Birbal Sahni FRS was an Indian paleobotanist who specialized in plant evolution and contributed immensely towards the identification of many Indian plant fossils.Inspired by his scientist father,Sahni was interested in Biology and geology from a young age and went on to inspire his brother and nephew to take up paleantology. He was the first Indian Botanist to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

His contributions in the fields of paleobotany and archeology is unparalleled. He is known for his discovery of a new group of fossil gymnosperms,pentoxylae.His notion that paleobotanical research must be complemented with geological knowledge led him to understand plants and fossil evidence in a new light.He discovered many plant fossils from the Rajmahal hills of bihar and figured out that that stem Buaklandia,flower Williamsonia and leaf Ptilophyllum belong to the same plant which he reconstructed and named as Williamsonia sewardiana. He also described, Palmoxylon sundram a petrified wood, Cocos wood and a water fern Azolla intertrappea.His studies also supported the continental Drift theory.He has published various papers in the field of archeology. He also founded the ‘Institute of Palaeobotany at Lucknow’, that was later renamed the’Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany’. A celebrated Botanist, Teacher and scientist, Sahni passed away, a week after the foundation of the Institute.

He was much liked by children who addressed him as the Tameshewala uncle, because he entertained them with his hand puppet named Gippy. His varied interests included photography, Numismatics, Music, chess and tennis. Today, He’s remembered as a dreamer and a great visionary.