Dr. Birbal Sahni was primarily a botanist, but he was a geologist and archaeologist as well. He kept himself in volved in discovering the secrets of nature throughout his life. He was the father of Palaeobotany in India. Birbal Sahni was born on November 14, 1891, in Behra village of Shahpur district in Punjab, which is now a par T of Pakistan. He was the second son of Lala Ruchiram Sahni and Ishwari Devi. His father, Ruchiram Sahni, was a Professor of Chemistry. Therefore, Birbal Sahni inherited interest in Chemistry from him.