India conferred Padma Bhushan to Ji Xianlin

In a rare gesture, India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherji on Friday personally conferred the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award on Ji Xianlin, who is considered the foremost Chinese Indologist, who has inspired love for Indian culture and literature among generations of his countrymen.

Ji Xianlin is the first Chinese to receive the honour. Mr.Mukerjee visited the ailing 97 year old scholar in a military hospital to present the medallion and the award certificate.

Mr.Ji Xianlin translated the Ramayana from the original Sanskrit into Chinese in verse form secretly during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) reflecting his passion for Indian culture and civilization.

Mr.Ji has translated several other major Indian classics into Chinese, including the  Shakuntala and Panchatantra and taught generations of Chinese students of Indology.

Mr.Ji, a life professor at PekingUniversity, is a writer, palaeographer and historian.he is widely respected for his erudite study of Buddhism and cultural interaction between India and China.

On the eve of the Republic Day, the Indian Government announced the civilian award to Mr.Ji, a Sanskrit expert, who has not only introduced Indian studies in China but also promoted relations between the two neighbors.