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96 year old Ji Xianlin, who translated the Ramayana into Chinese, was conferred the Padma Bhushan by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday evening in Beijing. Ji is one of China’s leading Indologist, who translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit to Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. Ji is also the founder of the Department of Eastern Languages at the prestigious Peking University.
This year Ji was selected for being rewarded with the Padma Bhushan, one of the top civilian honors of India, for his contribution to strengthening Sino-Indian cultural ties. Pranab Mukherjee personally himself presented the award to Ji in his house in Beijing on Friday evening. Ji is a renowned historian, paleographer and scholar and through his work inspired a love for Indian culture among the Chinese students and scholars.
Pranab Mukherjee at the felicitation function remarked that he is much honored to be visiting the Chinese scholar. He added that the Indian people treasure Ji’s contribution to the scholarship of India in China and regarded him as a special and valued friend. Ji thanked Pranab for traveling from afar and bringing this honor. He added that three years from now he will be 100 years old, but that for him is not an end but a new beginning. Ji remarked that so long as he is able to, he will dedicate himself to greater understanding between the people of India and China.
