Setting off from Kaunas in 1929 with just 69 dollars, Antanas Poška traversed the Middle East to reach India by motorcycle. This expedition defined his adult life, as he spent years navigating diverse cultures, mastering languages, and establishing himself as a significant figure in both anthropology and the international Esperanto movement during the twentieth century.
Early Connections and Travel
Born in Gripkeliai in 1903, Poška developed an early aptitude for Esperanto, which became a vital tool for his later survival. After completing secondary education and a brief stint at Kaunas University, he began exploring by bicycle and motorbike. His ambition to connect Lithuanian culture with the ancient traditions of India prompted his 1929 departure, a journey he financed through journalism and public lectures.
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Upon arriving in Bombay in 1931, Poška integrated into the local intellectual sphere. He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Bombay and pursued doctoral research on the Shina-speaking populations at the University of Calcutta. During this period, he translated segments of the Bhagavad Gita and Rigveda into Lithuanian, facilitated by his close ties to Indian scholars and his deep immersion in Sanskrit studies.
Wartime Resistance and Later Career
Poška returned to Lithuania in 1936, where his life took a dangerous turn during the Holocaust. He was later recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for sheltering three Jewish people. Following the 1945 Soviet takeover, his refusal to discard prohibited literature led to his imprisonment in a Gulag. After his release and eventual return to Lithuania in 1959, he continued working as a lecturer and author until his death in 1992.
Literary Legacy
Though he contributed thousands of articles to various publications throughout his life, his most significant project remained largely inaccessible during his lifetime. The eight-volume work Nuo Baltijos iki Bengalijos, detailing his experiences and observations in India, was only published posthumously between 2002 and 2012. His life and work remain archived at the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius.
Fast facts
- Born: 1903, Pasvalys, Lithuania
- Died: 1992, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Education: University of Mumbai and University of Calcutta
- Primary Occupations: Journalist, travel writer, and Esperantist
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (2000)
- Travel Reach: 75 countries and 120 nations by age 60
- Burial Site: Antakalnis Cemetery
- Total Bibliographic Entries: 3,756
Questions readers ask
Why did Poška travel to India by motorcycle?
He was motivated by the linguistic similarities between the Lithuanian and Sanskrit languages and sought to explore potential cultural links between the two regions.
How did he survive the Soviet era?
He spent time in a Gulag for refusing to destroy banned books and later found employment in museums in Central Asia before returning to Lithuania in 1959.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2000
- Worked as Esperantist, journalist and travel writer
- Educated at University of Calcutta and University of Mumbai
