22 June - Kālidāsa stamp release in 1960

Kālidāsa was a Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language of India. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems.

Much about his life is unknown, only what can be inferred from his poetry and plays.His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored within the 4th–5th century CE

The stamp bears as theme the following Sanskrit verse from the Meghadūta.  

आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे मेघमाश्लिष्टसानुम् |
वप्रक्रीडापरिणतगजप्रेक्षणीयं ददर्श ||
āṣāḍhasya prathamadivase meghamāśliṣtaṣnuṃ /
vaprakrīdā pariṇatagajaprekṣanīyam dadarśa //

तव न जाने हृदयं मम पुनः कामो दिवापि रात्रावपि |
 निर्घृण ! तपति बलीयः ||
tava na jāne hṛdayam mama punaḥ kāmo divāpi rātrāvapi |
nirgḥṛṇa tapati balīyaḥ |

14 September - Virajanand Dandeesha death anniversary

 

Virajanand Dandeesha, also known as the blind sage of Mathura was the celebrated teacher of Arya Samaj founder Dayanand Saraswati. He was a scholar and teacher of Sanskrit grammar and Vedic literature.
Virajanand was born in Kartarpur near Jalandhar in the year 1778 in a Mohyal family. At the age of five, he lost his eyesight from an attack of small pox. Soon thereafter his father, who had initiated him into the rudiments of Sanskrit learning died. Leaving him to the mercy of his elder brother and sister-in-law at very young age. As they did not treat him well, the temperamental Virjanand soon left their home.
His wanderings took him to Rishikesh where he led a life of meditation and austerity for about three years. Tradition has it that Swami Virjanand left Rishikesh for Hardwar at the instance of a divine command. At Hardwar, he came in contact with The swami Purnanand Giri, a Sanskrit scholar who initiated him into 'sanyas'. Purnanand created in him a deep love for Sanskrit grammar and for the "arsha" Shastras (scriptures authored by Rishis). Soon, he began to master other branches of Sanskrit literature, and also took up teaching others.

Virjanand died on 14 September 1868, at the age of 90. On 14 September 1971, the Post and Telegraph Department of India released a stamp in his honor depicting the swami in a sitting posture.

20 July - Krishna Kanta Handique birth anniversary

Krishna Kanta Handique (20 July 1898 – 7 June 1982) was a Sanskrit scholar, an Indologist and philanthropist from Assam. He was a recipient of the civilian honour of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan

The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Dept. issued a commemorative stamp in honor of Prof. Handique on 7 October 1983. The Govt of Assam has instituted the prestigious Krishna Kanta Handique Memorial Award in his honour in the field of promotion of Sanskrit language and literature.

Handique, the Sanskrit scholar is known for his three major works:

Naisadhacarita of Sriharsa, 1934
Yasastilika and Indian Culture 1949
Pravarasena's Setubandha 1976

26 June - Bankimchandra Chatterjee birth anniversary

Bankimchandra Chatterjee or Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, ( 26 June 1838– 08 April 1894)was an Indian novelist, poet and journalist.He was the composer of Vande Mataram, originally in Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring activists during the Indian Independence Movement. Chattopadhyay wrote thirteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises in Bengali. His works were widely translated into other regional languages of India as well as in English. He was born on 13th Ashard 1245, as per Bengali calendar.