Balaji Prabhakar Modak was a man who went against his times by fearlessly advocating the imperative for vernacular education and the need for scientific education, to help bring his country at par with the west. He was one of the first in western India to begin translation of important scientific works into Marathi, using words in regular usage. Yet, Modak's contribution was equally noteworthy in history - his work on the history of Kolhapur constituting a landmark in Marathi historical writing. Sadly he left no inventions or a loyal band of followers after him, which explains his invisibility in the wider canvass of Indian scientific history.
