Kālidāsa

About Kālidāsa

Kālidāsa is one of ancient India's most significant literary figures, often regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. Active around the 4th to 5th centuries CE (estimated lifespan 400–420), his works, which include plays like Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Śakuntalā) and epic poems, have profoundly shaped Indian literature and theatre for millennia. This enduring cultural legacy earns him a high standing in historical importance, ranking #778 in MIT's Pantheon project among thousands of influential figures.

Despite this crucial historical standing, modern internet attention remains conspicuously low. Kālidāsa garnered only 18K annualized Wikipedia pageviews in 2025. This places him severely under-attended, registering an Attention Gap of -18x relative to his historical weight. For perspective, his view count is dwarfed by contemporary writer François Rabelais, ranked #951 in importance, who secured 149K views in the same year, showing a significant disconnect between historical influence and current online engagement.

Furthermore, the available data suggests his modest online presence is shrinking. His 2025 Wikipedia pageviews saw a year-over-year decrease of -10.5%, and momentum fell by -24% between Q1 and Q3, indicating a declining, rather than sustained, modern interest in this towering figure of world literature.