Dr. Bhagwan Das was born at Varanasi on the 12th January 1869. After a brilliant career as a student, he joined government service as a deputy collector. but he was too great a man to remain a relatively minor government official for long. Learning, more especially of religions and philosophy, was of absorbing interest to him. For a time he came under the influence of Dr. Annie Basent in collaboration with whom he founded the Central Hindu College. This institution developed in time into Benaras Hindu University. Later, he founded the Kashi Vidya Pith, a national University and was its head for a number of years.

He was not only a philosopher, but a prominent public figure as well. He was an esteemed member of the Central Legislative Assembly of undivided India. He presided at a number of social and political conferences. He was associated with the Hindustani Culture Society and was president of the National community on Communal Riots. As a fighter for national freedom, he courted imprisonment.

An erudite scholar in Sanskrit, he coined a large number of Hindi words. He wrote no less than 30 books, a number of them in Sanskrit and Hindi. A majority of his works concern philosophy and ancient India lore. He studied other religions, as also diverse subjects like psychology and socialism. He wrote books on these subjects as well. He was thus a many sided personality with achievements to his credits in several fields. He pre-eminently distinguished position in the country was recognised when the highest national award of Bharat Ratna was conferred upon him. He passed away on 18th September 1958, rich in the years and in hours.

Dr. Bhagawan Das will be chiefly remembered as a thinker. He tried to bring West nearer to the East and made the old intelligible in terms of the modern. He wrote "...the thoughts, the ideals, the ways of human communities require exogamous alliances... for a new lease of richer life. Any honest exchange of commodities, spiritual as well as material, is profitable to both the parties concerned". He was a great believer, in synthesis. To quote him again " In essentials, in principals, in great things, unity; in non-essentials...liberty; in all things, charity; this should be our guiding star."

This great son of India is no more, nut the ideas, which he expounded, live on. The Indian P. & T. Department is happy to issue a special postage stamp in memory of the great philosopher on the occasion of his birth centenary.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India