NEW DELHI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The English and Hindi versions of China's renowned author and historian Ji Xianlin's biography titled "Ji Xianlin: A Critical Biography," was launched Saturday at New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

India bestowed one of his highest civilian awards "Padma Bhushan" on Ji Xianlin in 2008. His biography reconstructs the academic, professional and personal journey of the doyen of Indology, Buddhism, and Orientalism in China.

Professor B.R. Deepak at JNU's Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, School of Language Literature and Culture Studies, translated the book in both languages.

While the Hindi version has been published by the "Prakashan Sansthan", the biography in English has been published by the "Pentagon Press LLP."

Prof. Deepak was trained in Chinese history and the India-China relations at the Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Some of his translations from Chinese to Hindi and English include The Analects of Confucius, My Life with Kotnis, and the Chinese Poetry: 1100 BC to 1400 AD, for which he was awarded the Special Book Prize of China in 2011.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Prof. Deepak said that Ji Xianlin virtually tapped the entire repository of 24 histories as far as the data pertaining to India or South Asia is concerned.

The launch ceremony was graced by Deputy Chairman of Indian parliament's upper house "Rajya Sabha" Harivansh Narayan Singh, Minister and DCM of the Chinese embassy to India Li Bijian and JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar.

Besides, a host of Indian professors, authors, litterateurs and students of Chinese language also attended the event.