Pune, May 20 (UNI) Eminent astrophysicist and science writer Dr Jayant Vishnu Narlikar died at his residence here on Tuesday following cardiac arrest, family sources said.Narkilkar, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, was 86.

He passed away in his sleep.
Narlikar was born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur. His father Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar, was a famous mathematician and head of the Mathematics Department of Banaras Hindu University, while his mother Sumati was a Sanskrit scholar.
After completing his schooling in Varanasi, Jayant Narlikar obtained a degree in science and then went to Cambridge in the UK for higher education. He completed his PhD degree from Cambridge, and also won the Wrangler degree, Tyson Medal in astronomy, Smith Prize and several other awards.
Narlikar drew the attention of scientists around the world by proposing the ‘Conformal Gravity Theory’ along with Sir Fred Hoyle.
He also received India's second and third highest civilian honours, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan respectively for his valuable contribution in the field of astrophysics.
He not only contributed as a science researcher but also spread science through his writings.
Some of his famous scientific books are ‘Antaralatil Bhasmasur’, Antarala and Vigyan, Akashashi Jadle Nate and Suryacha Prapok. His Marathi autobiography ‘Char Nagarantele Maje Vishwa’ won the Delhi Sahitya Akademi Award.

He also got the Maharashtra Government Award for his book 'Denagi', the Lifetime Achievement Award in Literature from the American Foundation, and the Rashtra Bhushan Award from the Phi Foundation, Ichalkaranji. UNI SP SSP