Search engine giant Google today honoured Mahadevi Varma with a doodle today. She was not only one of India’s most popular poet, but was also a , woman’s rights activist, educationist and afreedom fighter. She was born on March 26, 1907 in Uttar Pradesh’s Farukhabad city. The poet had passed awy at the age of 80 in Allahabad on September 11, 1987.
She was one of the major poets of the Chhayavaad, a literary movement of romanticism Hindi poetry between 1914–1938. She had received number of awards including Padma Bhushan (1956), Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (1979), Jnanpith Award for her poetry collection Yama (1982) and Padma Vibhushan (1988).
Earlier on March 31, the Google dedicated its doodle to India’s first lady doctor Anandi Gopal Joshi, to celebrate her 153rd birth anniversary. It was designed by artist Kashmira Sarode. Google wrote in its blog, “In 1886, a young doctor stepped off a ship from America, eager to take up the role of physician in charge of the female ward at Kolhapur’s Albert Edward Hospital. Not only was she India’s first female doctor, but she was only 19 years old at the time. Her name was Anandi Gopal Joshi, and her story is one of courage and perseverance.”
Joshi, who was born on March 31, 1865, was married at the age of nine. Her husband encouraged her to continue her studies. Joshi got her medical degree from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She returned to India with an ambiition to,open a medical college for women.
“Joshi’s young life was tragically cut short when she died of tuberculosis before her 22nd birthday. However, her legacy and the path she paved for generations of women continues today. Interestingly, even a crater on Venus is named after her!” the blog addded further.
