Maria Christopher Byrski is a polish diplomat,Indologist andSanskrit scholar andKoodiyattam[1] enthusiast. He was an Ambassador of Poland to India during 1993-96 and was awardedPadma Shri Award, one of the fourth highest civilian awards of India, by the Hon'ble President of India. Amb. Byrski has received the award for his contribution in the field of Literature and Education. He is a recipient ofDr. George Grierson Award of the Central Hindi Directorate of the Government of India in 1995. He has written more than 100 essays on Ancient India's Drama.
Byrski had his first tryst with India in 1955, when he was a student of Indian Studies at the University of Warsaw. His fascination for Natyashastra, the ancient text ondramaturgy, brought him toBanaras Hindu University (BHU), where he earned a doctorate with a thesis titled ‘Concept of Ancient Indian Theatre’. While doing his research, he became fascinated byKoodiyattam, the only survivingSanskrit theatre.[2][3]