Hello. Dr. Jayant Narlikar passed away! Narlikar sir introduced astronomy to many persons! Despite of being at a very high position abroad, he returned to India for popularization of science! A scientist, teacher and science educator par excellence! I was fortunate to meet him twice. I had even received his letters. This is a small attempt to write my memories.
I still remember the day- 22nd January 1995. In a literature festival in Parbhani, Maharashtra, one of my senior friend told me to purchase Dr. Narlikar's "Preshit" (a science novel). I was ten then. Reading that novel thrilled me like anything. I completed it the same night and was taken aback to know about a new world. Search for aliens, modern scientific development, conditions on a giant star, other interesting aspects of science and a very stimulating story- line! In next few years, I read this novel for more than 35 times and also read other novels and science- stories by Narlikar sir. I even wrote to him to share my reaction and remarkably, I received his replies two times! I just loved his science novels and stories. His science- books were difficult to understand. But his writings created a strong interest in science and thus my taste developed. As a result, in 1997 when I was in Eight Standard, I had started an astronomical journal and it went on for around an year. It had even reached IUCAA's library!
