L. P. Vidyarthi

Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi (28 February 1931 – 1 December 1985) was an Indian Anthropologist known for his work on the anthropology of religion and pioneering studies on the sacred complex in Indian society.

Education Vidyarthi holds a master’s degree in anthropology (1953) from Lucknow University , having studied under D. N. Majumdar. In 1958, he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago under the supervision of Robert Redfield and McKim Marriott. His doctoral dissertation was titled The Sacred Complex of a Traditional City of Northern India.

Career He began his academic career as a Professor at Ranchi College (then affiliated with Bihar University), serving there from 1953 to 1956. He later joined Ranchi University as a Professor of Anthropology, teaching from 1958 to 1968, and became the head of the Anthropology Department in 1968, a position he held until he died in 1985.

Death Vidyarthi died on December 1, 1985.

Works

Vidyarthi encouraged Indian social scientists to study scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas to understand India's social and cultural realities. He emphasized the importance of Indian thinkers such as Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy for their focus on spiritual humanism and universal love.

In 1951, he studied the Maler tribe, exploring their ecological practices and spiritual beliefs. He introduced the "Nature-Man-Spirit Complex," which highlights the interplay of nature, human activities, and spirituality. He also developed the concept of the Sacred Complex, analyzing sacred sites like Gaya through "sacred geography," "sacred performances," and "sacred specialists."

Books The Sacred Complex in Hindu Gaya, 1961 The Maler: The Nature-Man-Spirit Complex in a Hill Tribe, 1963 Art and Culture of North East India, 1986 Leadership in India, 1967 The Tribal Culture of India, 2000 Rural Development in South Asia, 1982