Jagannath Sankarseth
| Jagannath Sunkersett | |
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| Born |
10 February 1803 Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Died | 31 July 1865 Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Nationality | India |
Hon. Jagannath "Nana" Shankar Sheth Esq. (also spelled Jagannath Shankarsheth and Jagannath Shankarseth) Marathi:जगन्नाथ शंकरशेट मुरकुटे or नाना शंकरशेट मुरकुटे (10 February 1803 – 31 July 1865), was an Indian philanthropist and educationalist. He was born in 1803 in the wealthy Murkute family of the Daivadnya Brahmin caste in Mumbai. Unlike his forefathers, he engaged in commerce and soon developed a reputation as a very reliable businessman. So high was his credit that Arabs, Afghans and other foreign merchants chose to place their treasures in his custody rather than with banks. He soon acquired a large fortune, much of which he donated to the public.
Shankarsheth became an active leader in many arenas of life in Bombay (now Mumbai). Foreseeing the need for improvements in education, he became one of the founders of the School Society and the Native School of Bombay, the first of its kind in Western India. The school went through a series of name changes: in 1824, it became the Bombay Native Institution, in 1840, the Board of Education, and in 1856 the name which continues to this day, the Elphinstone Educational Institution. It is the same institution where , the well known, Balshashtri Jambhekar , Dadabhai Nauroji , Mahadev Govind Ranade , Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar were the students during Nana's period. Later, even Gopal Krishna Gokhale , Lokmanya Tilak had attended the Elphinstone college for studies . When the Students' Literary and Scientific Society first opened their girls' schools, Jagannath Shankarsheth contributed much of the necessary funds, despite strong opposition of some members of the Hindu community. Other educational projects he began include the English School, the Sanskrit Seminary, and the Sanskrit Library, all of which are located in Girgaum, South Mumbai.
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