Naheed Abidi
Naheed Abidi is an Indian scholar of Sanskrit and writer. In 2014, she was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her contributions to the field of literature by the Government of India. She has received many awards and accolades for her contribution to Sanskrit literature & philosophy, notable among them are: Nawab Raza Ali Khan Award, 2018 for Sanskrit Language by Hon'ble Governor UP, Sri Ram Naik ji. The Late Smt. Chandrawati Joshi Sanskrit Bhasha Puraskar 2015 awarded by Gyan Kalyan Datavya Nyas, 6 Raisina Road, New Delhi. Janani Jagriti Darshan Samman by Ramayanam Trust, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Vikram Kalidas Puraskar by Kalidas Samiti, Government of M.P.; Dara Shikoh Sammaan & Yuva Pratibha Sammaan by Akhil Bhartiya Vidwat Parishad, Varanasi.
Early life and education
Abidi was born in 1961, in a Shia Muslim zamindari family at Mirzapur, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Choosing Sanskrit as her subject, Abidi did her graduation at the Kamla Maheshwari Degree College and secured her MA from the K. V. Degree College, Mirzapur. She moved to Varanasi, an ancient seat of Sanskrit scholarship after her marriage with Ehtesham Abidi - a Senior Advocate in the city. Varanasi is deemed holy by the Hindu text Garuda Purana. She went on to secure a doctoral degree from the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, a public university in the city, and published her thesis titled as Vedic Sahitya Mein Ashvinon Ka Swaroop in 1993. She received her D.Litt. degree from Lucknow University in 2009.Career
In 2005, Abidi started working as a lecturer without any pay at Banaras Hindu University. Soon after, she joined the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith to work as a part-time lecturer on a daily wage scheme. However, the Sanskrit scholar, known as the first Muslim female to have worked as a lecturer in Sanskrit, had difficulties finding a regular job. Her first book was published in 2008 and was titled Sanskrit Sahitya Mein Rahim - which is an account of the Sanskrit leanings of the renowned poet, Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana. This was followed by Devalayasya Deepa, a translation of Chirag-e-Dair, written by poet, Mirza Ghalib. The third book was Sirr-e-Akbar, a Hindi translation of 50 Upanishads, earlier translated by the Mughal prince, Dara Shikoh into Persian. She has published a Hindi translation of Vedanta, translated into Persian by Dara Shikoh and also the Sufi texts by the prince.Abidi lives with her spouse Ehtesham Abidi and her two children, a son and a daughter, in V.D.A. colony in the Shivpur area of Varanasi. She also serves as an Executive Council member at the Sampurnanad Sanskrit University.
Awards and recognitions
Abidi was conferred with Padma Shri, in 2014, by the Government of India, for her services to literature. She has also been conferred DLitt by the Lucknow University.Abidi met Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India on 9 September 2014 at the latter's residence and presented two of the books written by her. The meeting was announced by Modi through a photo on his Google Plus page and the video of the meeting was displayed on the personal web site of the Prime Minister. In 2016, She was honored with the Yash Bharati Award by UP government at a function held in Lucknow.
| Award | Awarded by | Year |
| Padma Award | President of India | 2014 |
| ‘Yash Bharti’ Sammaan | Government of Uttar Pradesh | 2016 |
| Late Nawab Raza Ali Khan Award | Raza Library, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh | 2018 |
| Late Smt. Chandrawati Joshi Sanskrit Bhasha Puraskar | Sri Gyan Kalyan Datavya Nyaas, New Delhi | 2015 |
| Janani Jagriti Darshan Samman | Ramayanam Trust, Ayodhya, U.P. | 2011 |
| Vikram Kalidas Puraskar | Kalidas Samiti, Govt. of M.P. | 2009 |
| Dara Shikoh Sammaan | Akhil Bhartiya Vidwat Parishad | 2007 |
| Yuva Pratibha Sammaan | Akhil Bhartiya Vidwat Parishad | 2006 |
Memberships/academic/social activities
- Member – NCMEI MoHRD, GoI, 19 Jan to 7 April 2015, 7 December 2015 to 6 December 2020.
- Member – Academic Council, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. 12 Feb 2020 to February 2022.
- Member – CBFC, MoH&B, GoI • Member – CABE, MoHRD, GoI, CABE Resolution, 11 June 2015.
- Member – Selection Committee for selecting Maharishi Sandipani Rashtriya Ved Vidya Pratishthan Awaredee Nominated by Hon’ble HRD Minister, Ujjain, 31.05.2013.
- Member - Executive Council,, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
- Visiting Professor in various Central and State Universities and Post Grad. Colleges such as M.M.V., M.G. Kashi Vidyapeeth etc. since past 22 years till 2015.
- Promoting Muslim girls and boys to study Sanskrit. Providing academic help for promotion of linguistic harmony.
Literary contributions
- Naheed Abidi. 2nd Edition. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan.
- Naheed Abidi. Vartman Sandarbh Mein Vaidik Moolya. National Book Trust..
Books in press
"Vaidik Sahitya me Ashwinav: Bhartiya evam P?̅shch?̅tya Mat".- A comparative study between Ishavasyopanishad by Acharya Shankar and by Dara Shikoh.Raheemkavye Sanskritsahitasya Prabhavah etc.