José Pereira | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1931-01-22)22 January 1931 |
| Died | 26 January 2015(2015-01-26) (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Awards | Padma Bhushan (2012) |
José Pereira (22 January 1931 – 26 January 2015)[1] was aSanskrit scholar, historian, writer, artist, andlinguist ofGoan origin.[2]
José Pereira was born on 22 January 1931 inBombay to aGoan family who hailed fromCurtorim.[3] He received hisPhD in Ancient History and Culture fromSt Xavier's College in 1949. He later graduated, with honours, fromSiddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce in 1951. In 1959, he traveled to Portugal as aguest lecturer at theInsituto Superior de Estudoes Ultramarinos inLisbon. A year later, he departed Lisbon following his public statement that “Goa has a cultural identity of its own and can never be a showcase of the greatness of the Portuguese."[2]
Pereira was the author of 24 books and 145 journal articles.[2] He was internationally recognised for hisfresco paintings.[4] His first works, titled "Images of Goa", were exhibited inBombay when he was 18 while still a student atJ J School of Art and later exhibited inUnion Territory of Delhi in 1969.[2]
Pereira was fluent in at least 13 languages. In particular, he was a strong supporter of theKonkani language.[2]
In 2012, theGovernment of India conferred thePadma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award of India, in recognition of Pereira's work in the field of Indian history and literature. He is considered to be the onlyGoan to be conferredthis award while being anon-resident Indian.[2]
In later life, his "Epiphanies of the Hindu Gods" caused Hindu fundamentalists to protest in 2010 due to thenudity in the artwork. Pereira countered with quotations fromSanskrit scriptures that justified the piece.[2]
