Dhirubhai Thaker

Dhirubhai Premshankar Thaker (27 June 1918 – 22 January 2014) was an Indian Gujarati writer, who was best known for creating the Gujarati Vishwakosh, a 25-volume encyclopaedia of the Gujarati language.

Life Thaker was born on 27 June 1918 in Kodinar, a city now in Gir Somnath District, Gujarat, India to his father Premshankar Thaker, and mother, Gomtibahen. His father was a Talati (village development officer) and was fond of reading literature. Thaker was a native of Viramgam, a town in Ahmedabad district.

He completed his primary education from Kodinar and Chanasma while secondary education from Chanasma and Siddhpur. He completed matriculation in 1934 from L. S. High School, Siddhapur with Sanskrit and Science subjects. He received a BA from Elphinstone College in 1939 with Gujarati (Honours) and Sanskrit, and a MA in 1941 from the same college with Gujarati. In 1938, Mumbai University awarded him the M. M. Paramanand Prize for his research work. Oganisami Sadini Pashchim Bharatni Dharmik Chalavalo (Religious Activities of 19th Century India).

In his honour, the Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award has been awarded annually by Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust, Ahmedabad since 2013.

Works He was a lecturer by profession. He wrote criticism, essays, research and plays. He wrote a biographical play, Uncho Parvat, Undi Khin (1993, 'Lofty Mountain, Cavernous Valley'), based on the life of Manilal Dwivedi. It was awarded a prize by Batubhai Umarvadia Centre for being the best play. He translated Pablo Neruda's Memoirs as Satyani Mukhomukha : Pablo Nerudana 'Memoirs'no Anuvāda (2010).

He assembled 1700 subject experts to work on Gujarati Vishwakosh, a 25-volume encyclopaedia of the Gujarati language which contains 25,000 pages and 23,000 entries. He had received Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar in 1998.