Prajal Sakhardande

Prajal Sakhardande was born on 18 April 1969 in Margao to Arvind Sakhardande, a professor, and Milan Sakhardande.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-21 |title=Understanding our past… |url=https://dyslexiagoa.wordpress.com/2018/08/21/understanding-our-past/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=DyslexiaGoa |language=en}} His interest in history began in childhood when he read comic books like those published by Amar Chitra Katha. He was fascinated by famous personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Swami Vivekananda. One of his inspirations was Sardar Karnail Singh Banipal, a 21-year-old martyr of the Goa liberation movement.{{Cite web |last=Desai |first=Basuri |date=2012-11-10 |title=The history guardian |url=https://www.thegoan.net//the-history-guardian/1837.html |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=The Goan Everyday}}

Sakhardande married Anju Khaunte on 13 May 2001. In 2003, they had a son, Vishesh, who died shortly after birth.

Sakhardande teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in history, including Medieval Indian history at Goa University. He is known for his engaging teaching style, often described as a "time traveler" by students. He completed his M. Phil. in Pre-Portuguese Goan Heritage and, as of 2012, was pursuing a Ph.D. in Post-Liberation Political History of Goa.

In 2022, he was chosen by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to consult about the content of the History textbooks for Class IX.{{Cite news |date=2022-07-28 |title=Goa history content for Class IX not yet ready for implementation in 2022-23 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/goa-history-content-for-class-ix-not-yet-ready-for-implementation-in-2022-23/articleshow/93171400.cms |access-date=2025-05-05 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

On 30 September 2000, Sakhardande co-founded the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) in response to increasing threats to Goa's built and cultural heritage. The group aims to protect historically and aesthetically significant buildings, sites, and artefacts. He has been active in campaigns such as Save Mhadei, Goa Bachao Abhiyan, and anti-SEZ protests.{{Cite web |title=Rewriting Goa's history |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/cafe/rewriting-goa’s-history/146034 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Herald Goa|date=11 May 2019 }}{{Cite magazine |date=2024-10-25 |title=Guardian of Goa's Heritage: The Inspiring Journey of Prajal Sakhardande |url=https://www.incrediblegoa.org/interview/guardian-of-goas-heritage-the-inspiring-journey-of-prajal-sakhardande/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |magazine=Incredible Goa}}{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Herald |date=2017-12-02 |title=Panjim mayor and historian Prajal Sakhardande, share their views |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/goa/na/panjim-mayor-and-historian-prajal-sakhardande-share-their-views/123440 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Herald Goa |language=en}} His weekly column Pages from the Past has contributed to raising awareness of Goa's monuments and historical legacies.

Sakhardande's first book was the 2012 Muslim History and Heritage of Goa. He then wrote a biography of Matanhy Saldanha, Matanhy Saldanha – the Legend. In 2019, he published Goa Gold Goa Silver: Her History Her Heritage – from Earliest Times to 2019, comprehensive overview of Goa's history, including cultural and political developments.

In 2023, Sakhardande co-authored a book, The Quest for Goa: History and Heritage of Goa from Ancient Times to 2019.{{Cite web |title=You might want to attend this book launch in Goa |url=https://www.gomantaktimes.com/my-goa/art-culture/you-might-want-to-attend-this-book-launch-in-goa |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Gomantak Times|date=29 May 2023 }}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-27 |title=The quest for Goa available in a nutshell |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/cafe/the-quest-for-goa-available-in-a-nutshell/205508 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Herald Goa |language=en}} His 2025 book, Unearthing Her Story, examines women’s contributions to Goan history, focusing on the importance of recognizing women's roles in shaping cultural identities.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-08 |title=Unearthing her story |url=https://www.navhindtimes.in/2025/03/08/magazines/zest/unearthing-her-story/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=The Navhind Times}}

• Muslim History and Heritage of Goa (2012)
• Matanhy Saldanha – the Legend
• Goa Gold Goa Silver: Her History Her Heritage – from Earliest Times to 2019 (2019)
• Pages from the Past – A regular column authored by Sakhardande, featuring insights into lesser-known facets of Goan history.
• The Quest for Goa: History and Heritage of Goa from Ancient Times to 2019 (2023)
• Unearthing Her Story (2025)

Prajal Sakhardande has received multiple awards in recognition of his work in heritage conservation and education. These include:

• The State Teacher's Award, which acknowledged his long-standing contribution to teaching and historical research.
• The Goa State Cultural Award for his dedication to preserving Goa's built and cultural heritage.
• Several other honours from cultural and civic bodies for his activism, scholarship, and public engagement on issues related to Goa's identity and history.

Sakhardande believes that heritage is a “positive legacy of history” and that preserving it is essential for future generations. He often quotes historian John Tosh: "The value of the past lies precisely in what is different from our world."

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Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Indian historians

Category:21st-century Indian historians

Category:Writers from Goa

Category:People from Margao