New Delhi, April 27: Google on Friday celebrated freedom fighter, women's rights activist, Hindi poet and Jnanpith awardee Mahadevi Varma with a doodle.
On this date, in 1982, the Bharatiya Jnanpith honoured her with the prestigious award for her "outstanding contribution towards literature".
Guest artist Sonali Zohra has designed the doodle that shows the transformative poet busy penning her thoughts into beautiful verses under a tree by the field on a breezy afternoon.
Often referred to as 'modern Meera' for ushering in the era of romanticism in Hindi literature, Varma was born on March 26, 1907, in Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh into an orthodox family.
Married at the tender age of nine in 1916, Varma remained at her parental home to continue her education at Crossthwaite Girls' School in Allahabad.
The spirit of a writer was kindled by Varma's mother who inspired her daughter to write in Sanskrit and Hindi, according to Google.
She penned her first verses in secret, while pursuing a master degree in Sanskrit. However, her roommate and friend, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (a well-known poet) discovered her talent soon.
Varma is revered as one of the foundational poets of the Chhayavad movement in Hindi literature, the Google blog said. Her poignant poetry and essays, mostly centred around her feminist outlook.
In her biography "Mere Bachpan Ke Din" (My Childhood Days), Varma wrote that at a time when a girl child was considered a burden upon the family, she was very fortunate to be born into a liberal family.
Her works appeared in magazines and books. Her collection of short stories "Sketches from My Past" portrays those women whom she encountered as the principal of an all-girls school.
Though a firm supporter of women's rights, Varma also explored the topics of tradition and the past with great fondness, it added.
Varma was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1956, Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 1979, and Padma Vibhushan in 1988. She passed away on September 11, 1987.
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CM Siddaramaiah meets Neha Hiremath's family, offers condolences
Dharwad (Karnataka), Apr 25: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday visited Neha Hiremath's house and offered condolences to her family members.
Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councilor of Hubballi-Dharwad Muncipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on April 18 by her former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik.
CCTV footage showed Fayaz stabbing Neha multiple times before fleeing the spot. He was arrested by police later.
The incident sparked widespread outrage and protests across Karnataka.
Talking to reporters later, the chief minister termed the incident unfortunate.
"Already I have said that I strongly condemn Neha Hiremath's murder. I have assigned the case to the CID for a detailed investigation," Siddaramaiah said.
ALSO READ: My family faces threat from strangers who filmed inside my house: Neha's father
"Along with that we will constitute a special court (to try the case). Special court specifically for this case,
to ensure maximum punishment is given to the accused as per the IPC provision," he added.
On the BJP's demand for a CBI investigation, the chief minister said the BJP is politicising the issue.
"Did the BJP ever give any case to the CBI when they were in power in Karnataka? Show me just one case. During my previous term as chief minister I had assigned many cases to the CBI," Siddaramaiah said.
He declined to discuss political matters, saying he has come here to Dharwad to console the family and offer condolences over Neha Hiremath's death.
"We will be with them (Hiremaths). I pray for her soul to rest in peace," the chief minister said.
On the alleged threat to the family and arresting others involved in the case, the chief minister said the government will provide security to the family and also ordered the CID to investigate the angle regarding the involvement of others in this case.
Speaking on the occasion, Neha's father Niranjan Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah and state Law Minister H K Patil for quickly responding to the demand and ordering that a special court be set up to try the case and for transferring the probe to the CID.
He said Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala has promised him that justice would be delivered in this case within 90 days, or if it gets delayed then it would not exceed 120 days.
"I demand capital punishment for the accused," Hiremath said.
