BIRBAL SAHANI

Birbal was visionary. The idea of founding an institution of palaeobotany took shape in his mind as early in 1929. He built up a vast collection fossil plants by fieldwork and exchange. He built up a very fine library of Palaeobotanical books. He sought government help to establish a museum of palaeobotany. His request failed. In September 1939, he formed a committee of palaeobotanist in India. In course of time this committee published reports of Palaeobotanical activities in India. In June 1946, the Palaeobotanical Society was founded in Lucknow. Bridal Sahni and Savithri Sahni dedicated their vast collection of fossil plants, their library and their money to the society. The aim of the society was to sponsor an Institute of Palaeobotany. Savithri Sahni was elected president of the society for life. The Palaeobotanical Institute was founded on 10^th September` 1946. In the earlier days it was housed in the Botany Department of Lucknow University. Birbal Sahni was its Honorary Director. He worked day and night to place the institution on a firm foundation. The next important step towards the realization of his cherished dream was the lying of the foundation stone of the new building of the institute on 3^rd April 1949. The corner stone of the building was specially prepared by putting together some rare specimens of stones and fossil plants collected in various parts of the world. It was made in the institute itself. The pieces making up this corner stone belonged to a period up to sex hundred millions of years before the dawn of history.

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