World-Famous Hero Biography

Amrita Shergil

2008-08-17T23:29:00.000+05:30

Amrita Shergil

Born: 1913
Died: December 6, 1941
Achievements: One of the most promising Indian artists of the pre-colonial era; youngest ever and the only Asian to be elected as Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris.

Amrita Shergill was a renowned Indian painter. She was one of the most charismatic and promising Indian artists of the pre-colonial era. Most of her paintings reflect vividly her love for the country and more importantly her response to the life of its people.

Amrita Shergill was born in Hungary in 1913. Her father was a Sikh aristocrat and her mother was Hungarian. Both her parents were artistically inclined. Her father, Umrao Singh Majitha, was a Sanskrit Scholar and her mother, Marie Antoinette, was a pianist. Amrita spent her early childhood in the village of Dunaharasti in Hungary. In 1921 her family moved to Shimla. It was at this time that Amrita Shergil developed interest in painting. An Italian sculpture used to live in Shimla. In 1924, when the Italian sculpture moved to Italy, Amrita Shergill’s mother too moved with her along with Amrita.

In Italy Amrita was enrolled at Santa Anunciata, a Roman Catholic institution. Amrita did not like the strict discipline of the Catholic school but on the flip side she was exposed to the works of the Italian masters and this further fanned her interest in painting. In 1927, Amrita Shergil returned to India and began taking lessons in painting under Ervin Backlay. But Ervin’s insistence that Amrita should copy real life models exactly as she saw them irked Amrita and thus her painting stint under Ervin Backlay was short lived.

In 1929, at the age of sixteen, Amrita Shergil sailed to France to study Art. She took a degree in Fine Arts from the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. She also learnt to speak and write French. It was in France that she started painting seriously. The Torso, one of her early paintings was a masterly study of a nude which stood out for its cleverness of drawing and bold modeling. In 1933, Amrita completed Young Girls. Critics and Art enthusiasts were so impressed by Young Girls that Amrita Shergill was elected as Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris. Amrita was the youngest ever and the only Asian to be honored thus.

In 1934, Amrita Shergill returned to India and evolved her own distinct style which, according to her, was fundamentally Indian in subject, spirit, and technical expression. Now the subject of his paintings were the poor, the villagers and beggars. In 1937, Amrita Shergill went on a tour of South India. This gave her the opportunity to achieve the simplicity she always wanted in her paintings. In 1938, Amrita Shergill went to Hungary and married her cousin Victor Egan much to the opposition of her parents. She married purely for security reasons as she felt that she was essentially weak and needed someone to take care of her. In 1939, Amrita Shergill returned back to India and started painting again. After her return her health deteriorated and she died on December 6, 1941.

Guru Dutt

2007-09-05T16:03:00.001+05:30

Personal Profile:
Guru Dutt was born on July 9, 1925, in Bangalore. He had died on 10/10/1964. He was an actor, film director and producer. He was famous for making artistic and lyrical films. His original name was Shivsankar Rao Padukone His parents were Saraswat Brahmins. His father was a headmaster. He had studied at Uday Shankar's dancing school at Almora. He was married and knew Hindi and English.

Family Background:
Mother's Name: Vasanthi
Brother: Atmaram
Sister: Lalita
Ex-Spouse: Geeta Dutt
Son: Arun and Tarun
Daughter: Nina

Filmography:
Debut Film: Baazi
Hit Movies: Sanjh Aur Savera, Picnic, Suhagan, East Is East, Bahurani, Bharosa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Shahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa, Mr. & Mrs., Suhagan, 12 O'Clock, Aar Paar.

Likes & Dislikes:
Likes: Hunting

Dilip Kumar

2007-09-05T16:02:00.000+05:30

Personal Profile:
Original Name of Dilip Kumar was Yusuf Khan. His nickname is Sri Dilip Kumar. People commonly call him tragedy king. He was born on December 11, 1922 in Peshawar (Pakistan). His father had relocated to Mumbai. A filmmaker had spotted him and helped him to enter the Hindi film industry. He owned India's greatest award for his excellence in cinema. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He has also been a Member of Parliament.

Family Background:
Brother(s): Nasir Hussain
Spouse: Saira Banu

Film Background:
Debut Film: Jwar Bhata
Hit Movies: Gunga Jumna, Leader, Izzatdaar, Mughal-E-Azam, Saudagar, Madhumati, Kanoon Apna Apna, Ram Aur Shyam, Sunghursh, Aag Ka Dariya, Dharam Adhikari, Karma, Mashaal, Kranti, Vidhaata, Dastaan, Kohinoor, Bairaag, Koshish, Gopi, Aadmi, Musafir, Aan, Hulchul, Arzoo, Naya Daur, Azaad, Devdas, Insaniyat, Foot Path, Babul, Nadiya Ke Paar, Shaheed, Jugnu, Jogan, Andaz, Shabnam, Ghar Ki Izzat, Mela.
Upcoming Movies: Khazan
Film Awards: Best actor filmfare award (1982) for Shakti. The lifetime achievement in 1997.

Amitabh Bachchan

2007-09-05T16:01:00.000+05:30

Personal Profile
Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest super stars that Hindi cinema/Bollywood has ever produced. Amitabh is fondly called as Amit and is also known as the Big B. He was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad. His zodiac sign is Libra. His height is 6'3". His eyes and hair are black. He pursued his education from Sherwood College, Nainital and Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. He knows Hindi, English and Punjabi. His residence is at Pratiksha, 10th Road, JVPD Scheme, Mumbai 49.

Family Background:
Father's Name: Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Mother's Name: Teji Bachchan
Spouse: Jaya Bhaduri
Son: Abhishek Bachchan
Daughter: Shweta

Filmography:
Debut Film: Saat Hindustani
Hit Movies: Zanjeer, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Sholay, Anand, Yaarana, Mr. Natwarlal, Sharaabi, Coolie, Aaj Ka Arjun, Agneepath, Shahenshah, Aakhree Raasta, Hum, Mohabbatein, Kaante, Major Saab, Black, Sarkar, Lakshya, Bunty Aur Babli, Baghban, Veer-Zaara.
Latest Movies: KANK
Upcoming Movies: Happy New Year, Baiju Aur Tansen, and Ada.
Film Awards: Best Actor For Baghban, Actor of the Millennium,

Likes & Dislikes:
Favourite Dish: Indian vegetarian food
Favourite Actresses: Jaya Bahaduri and Aishwarya Rai
Favourite Movies: Ganga Jamuna, Pyaasa
Favourite Destination: Peaceful Places
Favourite Perfumes: All Table Perfumes

Hema Malini

2007-09-05T16:00:00.000+05:30

Personal Profile
Hema Malini is a Bollywood actress and Bharatanatyam dancer born on October 16, 1948 in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu. Her original name is Hema Malini R. Chakravarty. She is popularly called as Dream Girl. She speaks Hindi, Tamil and English. Her daughters have been trained in Odissi School of Dance. She married Dharmendra. They have two children: Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Hema Malini has stepped in politics. She was also elected for Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP.

Family Background:
Mother's Name: Jaya Chakravarthy
Spouse: Dharmendra
Daughter: Esha Deol and Ahana Deol

Film Background:
Debut Film: Sapnon Ka Saudagar
Some of her famous movies are: Satte Pe Satta, Farz Aur Kanoon, Justice Chaudhury, Teesri Aankh Veer Zaara, Samraat, Aatank, Vivekananda, Hai Meri Jaan, Jamai Raja, Lekin, Paap Ka Ant, Sharara, Ek Naya Itihas, Qaidi, Raaj Tilak, Nastik, Andha Kanoon, Desh Ke Dushman, Santosh, Deshwasi, Galiyon Ka Badshah, Sachche Ka Bol Bala, Rihaee, Mohabbat Ke Dushman, Mulzim, Vijay, Kudrat Ka Kanoon, Apne Apne, Sitapur Ki Geeta, Jaan Hatheli Pe, Anjaam, Ek Chadar Maili Si, Babu, Ramkali, Aandhi Toofan, Hum Dono, Yudh, Baghawat, Desh Premee, Durga, Phaansi Ke Baad, Ek Nai Paheli, Ram Tera Desh, Razia Sultan, Himalay Putra, Maahir, Do Dishayen, Taqdeer, Meharbaani, Rajput, Suraag, Baghban, Censor, Hey Ram.
Upcoming Movies: Bhagmati, Baabul.

Bipasha Basu

2007-09-05T15:56:00.000+05:30

Personal Profile
Bipasha Basu is a fashion model and an Indian actress born on May 5, 1979 in Delhi. Her nickname is Bonny. She is commonly known as Bips. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. She is approx. 5' 8". She is unmarried. She pursued business degree in Kolkata. She was named Tulips Miss Super Vivacious in a world contest. Her debut movie was Ajnabee. She has also performed in some music videos and in Jay Sean's Stolen. Languages known by her are Hindi, English and Bengali. She resides at 105/B, Ashiyana Estate, John Bapist Road, Bandra (w), Mumbai-50.

Filmography:
Debut Film: Ajnabee
Famous Movies: Jism, Ajnabee, Takkari Donga, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Chor Machaye Shor, Rakht: What If You Can See the Future, Raaz, Gunaah, Apaharan, Phir Hera Pheri, Aankhen, No Entry, Barsaat, Sachin, Footpath, Chehraa, Rudraksh, Madhoshi, Rakht: What If You Can See the Future, Zameen, Ishq Hai Tumse, Dhoom 2.
Latest Movies: Phir Hera Pheri, Apaharan.
Upcoming Movies: Dhoom 2

Likes & Dislikes:
Hobbies: Reading, Dancing, Interior Designing

Aishwarya Rai

2007-09-05T15:55:00.000+05:30

Personal Profile:
Aishwarya Rai was born on November 1, 1973 in Mangalore (Karnataka). She is a model, Bollywood and Hollywood actress. She is called by her nickname as Ash, Ashu and Gullu. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. She is unmarried. She is currently the highest-paid actress in India. She is the Miss World of 1994. She has also been voted as Most Beautiful Miss World of All Time in 2000. Her father, Krishnaraj Rai, is a marine engineer. Her mother Vrinda Rai is a writer. Aishwarya has a three-year-older brother. Aishwarya did her schooling from Arya Vidya Mandir, Santacruz, Mumbai. Aishwarya's native language is Tulu. Other languages known by her are: Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Urdu, and Marathi. While studying architecture, she also started modeling. She worked as a professional model in Indian advertising and fashion magazines. She resides at Ramlaxmi Niwas, 19th Road, Khar, Mumbai 400 052.

Family Background:
Father's Name: Krishnaraj Rai
Mother's Name: Vrinda Rai
Brother: Aditya Rai

Film Background:
Debut Film: Iruvar
Famous Movies: Iruvar, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Chokher Bali, 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, Bunty Aur Babli, Kuch Naa Kaho, Ravoyi Chandamama, Bride & Prejudice, Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Devdas, Albela, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Raincoat, Khakee, Dil Ka Rishta, Shakti: The Power, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, Mohabbatein, Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Josh, Mela, Sanam Tere Hain Hum, Taal, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Jeans, The Heart of India, Shabd.
Latest Movies: Shabd, Bunty Aur Babli, Bride & Prejudice.
Upcoming Movies: Singularity, Racing the Monsoon, Chaos, The Last Legion, Windfall, Provoked, and Mistress of Spices, Saamna.

Likes & Dislikes:
Favourite Recipes: Not a fussy eater.
Favourite Actor: Raj Kapoor, A.B., and Dilip Kumar.
Favourite Actress: Madhubala and Nargis
Favourite Color: White and Blue
Likes: Family, Friends, Honesty, Dignity, Strength of character, Chocolates
Hobbies: She loves to collect watches

Smita Patil

2007-09-05T15:53:00.000+05:30

Smita Patil

Smita Patil (1955 - 13 December 1986) is one among the few versatile Indian actresses, who have made a special position in the hearts of people. She was indeed the pride of Bollywood. She has given superb performances in her movies, for which she is admired even today. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Smita Patil.

Career
She has worked with wonderful directors like Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal, and Mrinal Sen. She has performed in a number of Hindi and Marathi films. She is the queen of Indian cinema. For some time, she also took the job of a TV news reader. She was a great photographer. She was a multifaceted personality. She had dominated the Indian film industry during the 1970s and 1980s.

Smita was an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. In the year 1977, she received the National Award for best actress for her remarkable performance in the film Bhumika. In most of her films, she was portrayed as a very strong woman, who is able to endure the pressures created by the male dominated society.

Apart from being an actress, she was also an activist who raised several women issues. She tied her wedding knots with the well known Bollywood actor Raj Babbar. She did not survive for long. Due to complications arising from the birth of son, she died on the December 13, 1986.

Notable Works of Smita Patil
Nishant
Mandi
Haadsa
Umbartha
Bazaar
Manthan
Bhumika
Namak Halaal
Dard Ka Rishta
Arth Bhavni Bhavai
Chakra
Shakti
Sadgati
Mirch Masala

Sharmila Tagore

2007-09-05T15:52:00.000+05:30

Sharmila Tagore

Sharmila Tagore is a well known name of the Indian film industry. From April 2005 onwards, she is the head of the Indian Film Censor Board. The same year in the month of December, she served as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Sharmila Tagore. Read further to know the complete history of Sharmila Tagore.

Life
She was born on the December 8, 1946 in Hyderabad. She is a relative of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. She wanted to marry a Muslim man Mansoor Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi. For marrying him, she got her religion converted to Islam. She even changed her name to Ayesha Sultana. In the year 1968, she got married. They have three children, namely Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan.

Film Career
Her film career started in the year 1959. She got her first break by playing the lead role in Satyajit Ray film Apur Sansar (The World of Apu). She was just fourteen years old, when she worked in her maiden film. Thereafter, she was starred in many films.

Awards Won
Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1969
National Film Award for Best Actress in 1976
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997
Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003

Important Works of Sharmila Tagore
Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)
Waqt
Nayak
An Evening in Paris
Yakeen
Amar Prem
Aradhana
Mausam
Desh Premee
Chupke Chupke
Aashiq Awara

Shabana Azmi

2007-09-05T15:51:00.000+05:30

Shabana Azmi

Born on the 18th of September in the year 1950 in New Delhi, Shabana Azmi is one of the most leading actresses to have graced the screens of Bollywood. She has worked in a number of films, which has brought her lot of praise and appreciation. She has played roles of different genre and been able to adapt very nicely according to the need of the role. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Shabana Azmi.

Early life
She is a fabulous Muslim actress, who was born to the Azmi family. Her father Kaifi Azmi was a famous Indian Urdu poet as well as writer and her mother Shaukat was a renowned stage actress. Her brother Baba Azmi is a cinematographer. Thus, the entire family has been actively involved in the field of fine arts. They have always had vast social circles and thus, Shabana has always seen lot of people congregating in their house. She did her graduation in Psychology from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Thereafter, she took up a course in Acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Read on to know the complete life history of Shabana Azmi.

Career
The maiden movie of Shabana was an art movie 'Faalsa'. Though, it was her first movie but got released after Shyam Benegal's movie Ankur. She was given a very different kind of role to play in this film and she did it a fabulous job. The film turned out to be a superhit and even won the National award. Her performance in both the films was widely appreciated.

She won the national awards for three consecutive years from 1983 to 1985 for her notable work in the films Arth, Khandhar and Paar. She has always given an outstanding performance, because she has the caliber to very well get into the character, thus making it appear like a real life portrayal. She has worked in more than hundred films demanding different kind of attitude and skills. Shabana is an amazing actress who has truly proved her talent and versatility.

Notable Works of Shabana Azmi
Godmother
Earth
Khandhar
Paar
Masoom
Arth
Sparsh
Ankur
Mandi
15 Park Avenue
Madame Sousatzka
The Bengali Night

Social Activist
Well, Shabana Azmi is not just a wonderful actress, but a great social activist. She has made an incredible contribution in raising voice against unjust and inequality. She has also been actively involved in fighting AIDS. She has brought in notice a number of social issues. Initially, her efforts for the social welfare were considered to be a publicity gimmick. But, her strong determination and hard work proved people that she is genuinely concerned and not trying to draw people's attention to come into limelight. She has taken a keen interest in fighting for issues like communalism. She even participated in the demonstrations and marches for advocating communal harmony.

Awards Won
National Film Awards (6 times)
Filmfare Awards (4 times)
Padma Shri
Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award for her commendable work for the slum dwellers living in Mumbai.

Nargis

2007-09-05T15:50:00.001+05:30

Nargis

Nargis (June 1, 1929 - May 3, 1981) was a fabulous actress, whose performance in the film 'Mother India' was widely appreciated. The film was nominated for Oscars. She was born as Fatima Rashid to the Mohyal Brahmin. She was the daughter Allahabad-based singer, Jaddanbai and Uttamchand Mohanchand. Well, in this article, we will provide you with the biography of Indian actress Nargis.

The father of Nargis was actively involved in Indian cinema. He was an all rounder as in singer, dancer, director, composer and actor. His dear daughter Nargis entered into the Indian films at a very young age. Her debut film was Talashe Haq that was released in the year 1935. She was popularly known as "Baby Nargis". An interesting thing about Nargis was her stage name "Narcissus", which means a flower. To know the complete life history of Nargis, read on…

She earned lot of name and fame for her later movies, in which she played the adult roles. She worked in many Hindi-Urdu movies of the 1950s, out of which "Andaaz" and "Awaara" were the biggest hits. She was often starred opposite to the renowned Bollywood star Raj Kapoor. It is also said that, Raj Kapoor had a love interest in her. But, there was nothing serious between them, as Raj Kapoor did not make any attempt to divorce his wife.

While shooting for the film Mother India, Sunil Dutt sent a proposal for marriage and Nargis accepted it. Eventually, she got married to Sunil Dutt, a famous Indian Bollywood actor on March 11, 1958. She gave birth to three children, namely Sanjay, Anju, and Priya. Nargis passes away in the year 1981, as she was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Achievements & Recognitions
Filmfare Best Actress Award for Mother India in 1957
National Film Award for best actress in 1968
Best Artists of the Millennium award by Hero Honda in 2001

Notable works of Nargis Dutt
Raat Aur Din
Adalat
Ghar Sansar
Lajwanti
Mother India
Pardesi
Chori Chori
Jagte Raho
Shree 420
Angarey
Aah
Dhoon
Paapi
Shikast
Amber
Anhonee
Ashiana
Bewafa
Sheesha
Awaara
Deedar
Hulchul
Pyar Ki Baaten
Saagar
Aadhi Raat
Babul

Madhubala

2007-09-05T15:48:00.000+05:30

Madhubala

Madhubala (February 14, 1933 - February 23, 1969) is one of the most gorgeous actresses to have graced the screens of Bollywood. She has made an incredible contribution to the Indian film industry. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Madhubala. We will also provide you with information on the works of Madhubala.

Early life
Born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi on the February 14, 1933, Madhubala was the fifth child of the Pashtun Muslim family. A Muslim holy man had once predicted that this girl would make a name for herself and become a prominent personality. She would earn loads of wealth and fortune, but unfortunately won't be able to enjoy a happy life and die at a very young age. To know the complete life history of Madhubala, read on…

Madhubala is an epitome of beauty, who had an unbeatable charm. She is admired for her looks and work even by the present day generations. Madhubala's father named Ataullah Khan, on hearing the words of the Muslim holy man, planned to migrate to Bombay (now Mumbai) for leading a better life. Things were not smooth and the family had to struggle a lot for a year. Madhubala entered into the Indian film industry as a child artist. At that time, she was known as Baby Mumtaz.

Early work
Mumtaz gave a fabulous performance in her maiden film Basant (1942). Devika Rani was amazed by her performance and talent and changed her name to Madhubala. In the movie Jwar Bhata (1944), she was to play the lead role with Dilip Kumar. But, things did not materialize and she could not work in the film. But, this gave her an opportunity to know Dilip Kumar.

Major Break
Madhubala got a major break, when she was signed opposite to Raj Kapoor in Kidar Sharma's film 'Neel Kamal' (1947). She was more often referred to as the "Venus of the Screen". Within a span of two years, she established her career and came into limelight. She constantly kept climbing the ladders of success and her films were super hit. Mughal-e-Azam turned out to be the biggest hit. In her short lifetime, she worked in seventy films.

Relationship with Dilip Kumar
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar got an opportunity to get along with each other on the set of Jwar Bhatta (1944). When they worked together in Mughal-e-Azam for a long period of nine years, Madhubala started having hots for him. It is even said that, Madhubala had once sent him a note accompanied by a flower. Dilip Kumar reacted in a favorable manner and they got engaged with each other. Madhubala was very serious about marrying him, but he did not pay much of attention on her and chose someone else for marriage. Later, Madhubala got married to Kishore Kumar, a well known name of the Indian film industry.

Death
In a routine check up, it was discovered that Madhubala had a hole in her heart. Her ailment was kept secretive from the film industry. The doctors refused to operate on her, as there was virtually no hope of survival. The doctors said that even if the operation is successful, she won't live for more than a year. It was at that point of time that, she realized that she shouldn't have married Kishore Kumar. She passed away on the February 23, 1969.

Works of Madhubala
Baghdad Ka Chor
Shaheed-E-Mohabbat
Basant
Mumtaz Mahal
Dhanna Bhagat
Parai Aag
Lal Dupatta
Amar Prem
Neki Aur Badi
Imtihaan
Pardes
Beqasoor
Khazana
Sangdil
Armaan
Shirin Farhad
Ek Saal
Baghi Sipahi
Barsaat Ki Raat
Sharabi
Jwala
Mughal-E-Azam

Jaya Bachchan

2007-09-05T15:43:00.000+05:30

Jaya Bachchan

Jaya Bachchan is one of the most brilliant actresses of Indian film industry. She has made an incredible contribution in the growth and prosperity of the Indian cinema. She was born as Jaya Bhaduri on the 10th of April in 1948 in Jabalpur district. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Jaya Bachchan.

Life History
She was born as the daughter of Indira and Taroon Kumar Bhaduri. She did her schooling from St. Joseph's Convent school, Bhopal. She is an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. On June 3, 1973, she tied her wedding knots with the famous Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. The couple has two children, namely Shweta Bachchan-Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also a great actor.

Film Career
When Jaya was fifteen, she was offered a small role to play in the Bengali film Mahanagar produced by Satyajit Ray. Her next movie Guddi, which was in Hindi, was a big hit in the box office. In this film, she was portrayed as a school girl, who had a major crush on the superstar Dharmendra. She was simply obsessed about him. Thereafter, she signed plenty of films like Jawani Diwani, Uphaar, Anamika and many more.

Participation in politics
Jaya Bachchan at a later stage began taking interest in the politics of the country. She was a part of the Samajwadi Party and also has been a Member of Parliament. There has been a lot of controversy regarding her holding the position of profit side by side with the post of MP.

Awards & Recognitions
Filmfare Awards (1975, 1980, 2001, 2004, 2007)
Omega Award for Excellence: Lifetime Achievement (1998)
She is a recipient of the Yash Bharati Samman, the highest award in Uttar Pradesh

Notable Works of Jaya
Zanjeer
Abhimaan
Chupke Chupke
Sholay
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Silsila
Annadata
Sholay
Mili
Parichay
Kal Ho Naa Ho

Shubha Mudgal

2007-09-05T15:40:00.000+05:30

Shubha Mudgal

Shubha Mudgal is among the few singers, who have made a special position for themselves in the Indian music industry. She has not only proved her talent in classical singing, but also come out successfully to adapt her voice and blend it well with the popular music of today. She is blessed with unique voice, which can be used in all kinds of singing. Well, in this article, we will provide you with the biography of Shubha Mudgal.

Her two albums namely "Ab ke Sawan" and "Pyaar Ke Geet" were widely acclaimed. She came out with an album "Mann Ki Manjeree" that was dedicated to the modern women. The album gave a platform to newcomers to come forward and exhibit their talent. Read on to know the complete life history of Shubha Mudgal.

Shubha Mudgal took training in Hindustani classical music. Though, professionally, she is a classical singer, but she has adapted her voice to sing all genres of music like Rock, Blues, Samba, Jazz, and Folk. She obtained training from renowned gurus like Pt Ram Ashreya, Pt Vinay Chandra, Pt Kumar Gandharva, Maudgalya and Naina Devi.

Her album 'Ali More Angana' was a big hit, especially amongst the youngsters. Infact, it became the favorite number to be played in the discotheques. Not only is she a famous concert artist, but also a great music composer. Her compositions are also widely appreciated. She has taken up different kinds of works. She has composed several songs for the Hollywood movies, documentaries, telefilms and many more.

Her musical repertoire consists of folk, pop and other forms of popular music. She has experimented a lot with her voice and come out with flying colors. She is one of the most popular vocalists of India. She has also sung a couple of Sufi songs. She is also actively involved in composing devotional songs and poetry. Her voice is bold enough to remind you of the sounds of the ancient music, but her presentation is absolutely modern. She has been honored with various awards including the Padma Shri.

Lata Mangeshkar

2007-09-05T15:38:00.000+05:30

Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar is the pride of Indian music industry. Blessed with beautiful voice, she is the most well known Indian vocalist. Highly versatile, she has sung in more than 20 languages. To honor and give recognition to her works, Lata Mangeshkar is also known as the Nightingale of India. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Lata Mangeshkar.

Early Life
Lata was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh as the daughter of Dinanath Mangeshkar, who was a classical singer as well as a theater artist. She was the first child of the Mangeshkar family. She was born in Indore, but brought up in Maharashtra. When she was five years old, she began working as a theater artist in sangeet nataks. She also started taking singing lessons from her father.

Lata sang her maiden cinematic song for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942). Her father did not like the idea of her daughter singing for the films. So, her song was deleted from the movie. In the year 1942, she lost her father. Due to sudden demise of her father and unsound financial condition of the house, she decided to play small roles in various Hindi and Marathi films. She had to take up the acting assignments, despite the fact that, she was not at all fond of acting. To know the complete life history of Lata Mangeshkar, read on.

Career
In the year 1945, she happened to meet the film producer S. Mukherji through Ghulam Haider. Haider personally wanted her to be given an opportunity to show her singing talent. However, S. Mukherji did not like her voice and said no for giving her a chance to sing for his film. At that point of time, Haider promised himself to establish her singing career in Bollywood. He even said to the producer that, one day will come when all the producers and directors will fall on her feet and beg her to sing in their films.

Lata got her biggest break, when she was given the chance to sing the song "Aayega Aanewaala" for the movie Mahal. The song was a super duper hit. The period of 1950s witnessed tremendous growth in her career. She rose to the top in the list of Bollywood singers. She worked with all the famous composers of that era like Shankar Jaikishan, S D Burman, Naushad, Hemant Kumar, and Salil Chowdhury. Shankar Jaikishan was absolutely stunned by her voice and used her voice for playback singing in almost all the movies that he got.

The period of 1960s made her the queen of Bollywood playback singing. She sang for almost all the prominent composers of the industry and set her foothold in Bollywood. Her songs got an overwhelming response from people all over the country. During the 1970s, Lata recorded songs for Bollywood actress Meena Kumari in the film Pakeezah, which brought her recognition and popularity. She performed tracks for S.D. Burman's films like Prem Pujari, Sharmilee, and Abhimaan.

In late 1970s and early 1980s, Lata Mangeshkar worked with the children of the music composers, with whom she had worked in the past. In the year 1990, Lata established her own production house. Their first and last film "Lekin" was a total flop. Mangeshkar has also sung some non film songs including ghazals with Jagjit Singh. Lata Mangeshkar has also sung for Yash Chopra`s films including Lamhe, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Darr, Yeh Dillagi, and Dil To Pagal Hai. She sang quite a number of Bengali songs with renowned music directors like Salil Chowdhury and Hemant Kumar.

Trivia
Lata Mangeshkar has composed music and also produced movies under the name of 'Anand Ghan'.
She is very fond of cooking nice dishes.
She always sings barefoot.

Awards Won
Filmfare Awards (1958, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1993 and 1994)
National Awards (1972, 1975 and 1990)
Maharashtra State Award (1966 and 1967)

Other awards
1969 - Padma Bhushan
1974 - Recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for having sung the maximum number of songs in the world
1989 - Dada Saheb Phalke Award
1993 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
1996 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
1997 - Rajiv Gandhi Award
1999 - NTR Award
1999 - Padma Vibhushan
1999 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
2000 - Lifetime Achievement Award by IIFA in London
2001 - Best Playback Singer of the Millennium (female) by Hero Honda and magazine "Stardust"
2001 - Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award
2001 - Noorjehan Award
2001 - Maharashtra Ratna

Asha Bhosle

2007-09-05T15:37:00.000+05:30

Asha Bhosle

A very well known Bollywood playback singer, she is as popular as her elder sister, who is also a renowned singer. Well, we are talking about Asha Bhosle, who has mesmerized the entire country with her amazing voice. She has dominated the Indian music industry for a period more than six decades. Even now, she is constantly enhancing her music collection and entertaining the people.

Asha Bhosle is a very versatile singer, who has put her heart and soul in modulating her voice to come up with something original and creative. Her voice is very adaptative. She is very well able to sing the songs for romantic situation. When naughtiness is required, she can change her voice and sing according to the situation. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Asha Bhosle.

Life
Asha was born on September 8, 1933 in a small village of Goar in Sangli, Maharashtra to the Marathi family. She is the daughter of Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar, who was a theater artist as well as a classical singer. She lost her father, when she only nine years old. The family kept moving from one place to another. They went from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Bombay (now Mumbai). To support the family, she and her elder sister Lata started singing in the films. To know the complete life history of Asha Bhonsle, read on.

She got her first break when she signed the agreement to sing the song "Chala Chala Nav Bala" for the Marathi movie Majha Bal (1943). Her first Hindi song was "Saawan aaya", which was recorded for Hansraj Behl's film Chunariya (1948). When she was sixteen, she fell in love with a 31-year old man Ganpatrao Bhosle and she was firm about marrying him. She eloped with him and tied her wedding knots with him against the wishes of her family. She did not derive happiness in this relationship and after a few years, she shifted to her mother's home along with her kids.

She is one of the most skilled and talented singers. Her music repertoire consists of film music, ghazals, pop, traditional Indian Classical music, folk songs, qawwalis, bhajans, and Rabindra Sangeet. She has sung songs in fourteen languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, English, Russian and Malay. She has sung nearly 12,000 songs.

Though, she has made a vast collection of music, but she is most famous for the Bollywood songs. She headed her first step towards establishing her career in the year 1943. She has been the most prominent personality of the Indian music industry since the last six decades. She has done playback singing for more than 950 Bollywood movies.

Career
Initially, Asha had to struggle a lot to get assignments to sing for the lead roles. However, during the 1950s, she sang a large number of songs. Infact, period she sung more than any other playback singer. Her initial songs were mainly composed by Sajjad Hussain, A R Qureshi and Ghulam Mohammed. Thereafter, she got plenty of singing assignments.

Apart from Hindi songs, she also sang for many Marathi movies such as Khedyamadhle ghar kaularu, Majha hoshil Kaa? Bugadi mazi and Nach re mora. Her Marathi bhajans, natyageet and bhav-geet are liked by people even today. O.P. Nayyar gave a boost to her career by giving her a major break in C.I.D. (1956). Asha's performance in the film Teesri Manzil was well acclaimed. In the film, she worked along with R.D.Burman. Thereafter, they worked together in quite a number of films and also decided to tie wedding knots with each other. Their collaboration earned them name and fame.

During 1960s and 1970s, she became the voice of the most famous dancer of Bollywood Helen. Popular Asha Bhosle-Helen numbers include Piya tu ab to aaja (Caravan), O Haseena Zulfon Wali (Teesri Manzil) and Yeh Mera Dil (Don). She took up the challenge of showing her versatility by taking up the challenge of singing Ghazals in the films Umrao Jaan (1981) and Ijazat (1987). Her work was widely applauded.

During the 1990s Asha experimented with the remixed versions of R.D. Burman songs. Her efforts were criticized by many people, accusing her for tampering with the golden melodies of the past. Nevertheless, there were albums like "Rahul And I", which were appreciated by people. In the year 1997, Asha came out with her private Indipop album Janam Samjha Karo, which was a major hit. The album brought her great honor and recognition. She even received the 1997 MTV Award.

Awards Won
Filmfare Awards (1967, 1968, 1971, 1972,1973,1974,1977, 2000)
Indian National Awards (1981 and 1986)

Other Awards
1987 - Nightingale of Asia Award
1989 - Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Madhya Pradesh)
1997 - Screen Videocon Award
1997 - MTV Award
1997 - Channel V Award
1998 - Dayawati Modi Award
1999 - Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Maharashtra)
2000 - Singer of the Millennium
2000 - Zee Gold Bollywood Award
2001 - MTV Award
2002 - BBC Lifetime Achievement Award
2002 - Zee Cine Award
2002 - Screen Videocon Award
2002 - Sansui Movie Award
2002 - Swaralaya Yesudas Award
2004 - Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce

Alka Yagnik

2007-09-05T15:36:00.000+05:30

Alka Yagnik

Alka Yagnik is one of the most talented singers of Bollywood. She was born to a Gujarati family on the 20th of March in Calcutta (now Kolkata). She comes from a music background. Both her parents were actively involved in classical music. Since the late 1980s, she has been one of the most leading playback singers of the Indian music industry. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Alka Yagnik, so read on.

Life History
Alka has always been fond of singing. Since young age, music has been her first love. Initially, she thought it to be nothing more than a hobby, but later she realized that if pursued seriously, it can be taken as a profession. When she was six years old, she began singing Bhajans for the Calcutta Radio. From then onwards, she started singing at a professional level.

For establishing her foothold in the field of music, she went to Mumbai. She got her first break, when she was given the assignment for singing a song for the film Payal Ki Jhankaar in 1979. Then, she sang the song "Mere Angene Mein" for the film Laawaris (1981). Her biggest hit was the song Ek Do Teen from the film Tezaab that was released in 1988. The song broke all the records and made her star overnight.

Her voice has been mainly used for the young generation stars. She has done playback singing for many famous actresses like Rakhee, Hema Malini, Farida Jalal, Rekha, Kajol and Preity Zinta. Besides Hindi songs, she has also sung in other languages such as Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Punjabi.

Awards Won
Filmfare Awards (1988, 1993, 1997,1999,2000,2001 and 2004)
National Film Awards (1994 and 1999)
Zee Cine Awards (1999, 2001 and 2007)
Star Screen Awards (1995 and 2000)
International Indian Film Academy (2000 and 2001)
MC Music Awards
BBC: World Music 2003 Awards
MTV Asia Viewers Choice Award

Notable Works of Playback Singing

Umrao Jaan - Salaam, Pooch Rahe Hain
Babul - Gaa Re Mann
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Tumhi Dekho Na
Swades - Saanwariya Saanwariya
Hum Tum - Hum Tum
Mujhse Shaadi Karogi - Laal Dupatta
Kal Ho Naa Ho - Kuch to Hua Hai
Tere Naam - Oodhni
Chalte Chalte - Tauba
Raaz - Aapke Pyaar Mein
Mujhse Dosti Karoge! - Jaane Dil Se
Kasoor - Kitni Bechain Hoke
Dil Chahta Hai - Jaana Kyon
Lajja - Badi Mushkil
Dhadkan - Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Dil Se
Zubeidaa - Mehndi Hai Rachnewali, Hai Na
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai - Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam - Chand Chupa
Taal - Taal Se
Duplicate - Mere Mehboob Mera Sanam
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Alisha Chinai

2007-09-05T15:33:00.000+05:30

Alisha Chinai

Alisha Chinai is a leading pop singer, who can be given the credit for bringing the trend of pop music in India. Born on the 18th of March in 1972, she has brought a revolution in the Indian music industry. It is said that her real name is Sujata. More often, she is known as the Indian Madonna. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Alisha Chinai.

Singing Career

The singing talent of Alisha Chinai was explored by the famous music composer cum director Bappi Lahiri. Bappi Lahiri and Alisha worked together in quite a number of disco songs that have been super hits and enjoyed by people all over. Some of the popular disco hits are Guru, Commando, Dance Dance, Love Love Love and more. Alisha has sung songs for almost all the popular actresses like Sridevi, Smita Patil, Madhuri Dixit, Mandakini, Juhi Chawla etc. To know the complete life history of Aleesha Chinai, read on.

During 1990s, she went a step ahead and worked with other music directors like Anu Malik and Nadeem-Shravan. Apart from playback singing, she also came out with her own private albums like 'Made in India' and 'Lover girl', which gained a lot of popularity and became the talk of town. Her pop albums brought her stardom overnight. Her initial albums were very popular, but the latter ones could not gain a positive response from the audience. So, she decided to return back to the filmi music. One of her biggest filmi hits is the song Kajra Re, which made the entire country go crazy. She even received the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for this song.

Awards won
Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song Kajra Re
International Billboard Award
Freddie Mercury Award

Notable Works of Alisha Chinoy

Disco Songs
Aah!… Alisha
Alisha
Baby doll
Bombay girl
Jadoo
Lover Girl
Made in India
Madonna
Om Namah Shivay

Film Songs
Aaj Ki Raat (Don)
De diya Dil Piya (Keemat)
Dil Ko Hazar Bar (Murder)
Ishq Di Gali (No Entry)
Kajra Re (Bunty aur Babli)
My Adorable Darling (Main Khiladi Tu Anari)
Pyaar Aaya (Plan)
Raat Bhare Jaamse (Tridev)
Tere Ishq Main Nachenge (Raja Hindustani)
Tinka Tinka (Karam)
Touch me (Dhoom 2)
Zooby Zooby (Dance Dance)

Yamini Krishnamurthy

2007-09-05T15:32:00.000+05:30

Yamini Krishnamurthy

Born in the year 1940 to a Telugu family at Chidambaram in Tamilnadu, Yamini Krishnamurthy is an eminent Bharatnatyam dancer, who has swayed the entire country with her fabulous dance performance. She is also well known for her Kuchipudi dance style. When she was five years old, she started learning Bharatnatyam dance from the Kalashetra School of Dance in Chennai. She took training under the guidance of Rukmini Devi Arundale. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Bharatnatyam dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy.

After completing her basic learning at Kalashetra, she took further training from renowned exponents such as Thanjavur Kittapa Pillai, Dhandayudhpani Pillai, Kanchipuram Ellapa Pillai, and Mylapore Gouri Amma. She went on stage for the first time in the year 1957 in Chennai. She won the hearts of people with her charisma and heart throbbing performance. Read on to know the complete life history of Yamini Krishnamurthy…

By the year 1960, she had set up her foothold in this industry and earned a name for herself. Her name appeared in the list of leading dancers of India and she has strived hard to maintain that position till date. She has been giving wonderful performances for the past four decades. She also has made an immense contribution in popularizing the Kuchipudi dance. Her dance performances brought international recognition to classical folk dances of India.

During her long career, she has won many accolades such as Padmashri (1968), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1977) and Padma Bhushan (2001). She was also honored with the title of `Asthana Narthaki'. She has been pursuing an active career. She produced a TV serial for Doordarshan, which was based on the Indian dance styles. She also wrote an autobiography titled "A Passion for Dance". In the year 1990, she established the 'Yamini School of Dance' in New Delhi, where she teaches dance to the budding stars of tomorrow.

Shovana Narayan

2007-09-05T15:30:00.000+05:30

Shovana Narayan

A maestro of Kathak dance, she is a well known name that appears on the top in the list of eminent classical dancers of India. Her wonderful performances have left the people awestruck. Her teacher is none other than the famous Birju Maharaj. Well, we are talking about the great Indian Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan.

At a very young age of four, Shovana started learning Kathak from the renowned dancer cum actress of the past Sadhana Bose in Calcutta (now Kolkata). She completed her Masters degree in Physics from Miranda House in Delhi. She tied her wedding knots with Dr. Herbert von Traxi, Austrian Ambassador to India. Also known as the Kathak queen, she is so much involved in dancing that she cannot imagine her life without it. It is not just a hobby for her, but the motive of her life.

Shovana Narayan has given an entirely new dimension to dancing. She is an accomplished dancer, whose facial expressions complements her dance and makes her performance simply outstanding. Her choreographic works have not only been well acclaimed in India, but are also highly praised overseas. Read on to know the complete life history of Shovana Narayan.

She has worked in collaboration with a number of prominent national and international musicians as well as dancers. Her notable works include "Moonlight Impressionism" and "The Dawn After". She has worked in close association with dancers from Western classical ballet and American tap dancer. She has given various dance performances with dancers of other Indian classical dance forms. Her repertoire encompasses movies like Akbar's Bridge (Hindi) "Das Geheimnis des Indisches Tanz" (German) and operas such as "Ghalib ki Dilli" and 'Wicchare Pani'.

Awards Won

Padma Shri
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award;
Delhi Government's Parishad Samman
Rajiv Gandhi Puraskar
Bihar Gaurav Puraskar
Indira Priyadarshini Samman
Oisca Award

Mallika Sarabhai

2007-09-05T15:27:00.000+05:30

Mallika Sarabhai

She is a well known Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer of India. She is the daughter of renowned artists. Her mother is a great dancer and father is a famous scientist. Well, we are talking about the celebrated dancer Mallika Sarabhai. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Mallika Sarabhai.

The holder of MBA and doctorate degree from IIM Ahmedabad, she is a multitalented personality. She is truly an all rounder. She has proved her worth in all the streams, then be it editing, anchoring, film making, dancing, acting etc. Mallika started learning dance at a very young age. To know the complete life history of Mallika Sarabhai, read on…

She began her career, when she was only fifteen years old. She took up the acting assignment to play the role of Draupadi in Peter Brook's film "The Mahabharata". Apart from being a professional dancer, she is also a social activist. During the 2002 riots of Gujarat, she raised her voice and spoke against the role played by the Narendra Modi government. She is an epitome of boldness and courage.

She, along with her mother, administers the functioning of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, which is located at Ahmedabad. Her works have been well acclaimed. She has received many accolades throughout her career. In the year 1977, she was honored with the "French Palme D'or", which is the highest civilian award of the Government of France. Later in Paris, she received the 'Best Soloist Artist' for best dance performance.

Mirabai

2007-09-05T15:26:00.000+05:30

Mirabai

Mirabai was a well known Hindu mystical poetess, whose writings are praised all over. It is said that, she was a disciple of Shri Guru Ravidas. She is famous for her bhajan compositions. She wrote nearly 1300 prayer songs. Most of her compositions were written in the praise of Lord Krishna. She wrote most of the poems in the Rajasthani dialect of Hindi. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Mirabai.

Mirabai was born in the year 1498 at Merta in Nagaur District of Rajasthan. When she was just six years old, her mother gave her an image of Krishna, with whom she would talk every day and night. Krishna became an integral part of Meera's life. When Mira turned sixteen, her paternal uncle Viram Deo fixed her marriage with the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor, Prince Bhoj Raj. To know the life history of Mira Bai, read on.

As the wife of the ruler of Chittor, she earned status and recognition. Now, she became a part of a royal family blessed with riches. Despite the fact that, she was a married woman, she could not stop thinking about Krishna. Her immense love for Krishna did not let her perform her duties towards her marital relationship. She even refused to offer prayers to the family deity, Durga.

Mirabai used to intermingle with people of all social classes and castes. Then, she would go around singing and dancing in the public temples. It is due to this reason that, she had to face serious consequences. Her husband died couple of years after their wedding knots were tied. Following her husband's death, she was asked to perform Sati, a custom of self-immolation that is practiced by all Hindu widows.

Mirabai lost her father in a battle. Even, her father-in-law was severely injured in the battle and expired the next year. In her writings, Meerabai made a mention that her in-laws attempted to kill her twice. However, by God's grace, she was saved. It was getting very tough for Mira to tolerate all these sufferings. At the age of thirty, she decided to leave the palace. She went on a pilgrimage trip to Mathura, Vrindavan and Dwarka.

Mira got so engrossed in worshipping Krishna that she virtually forgot herself. She left behind the treasure of her writings, which were a reflection of her heart. Her poems and other compositions reveal different aspects of her life. The prayer songs that she left are popular amongst the worshippers even today. Mirabai is considered to be a saint as per the tradition of the Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti Movement of the 16th century emphasized on devotion as the means to attain salvation.

There is an interesting legend associated with the story of Brahmacharini Meerabai. People are of the belief that, it was the unconditional immense love of Mira for Krishna that she vanished in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. It is said that, the sanctum doors got closed on their own. Later on, when the doors were opened, Mira's sari was found wrapped around the image of Lord Krishna, thus speaking of the union of Mirabai and Krishna.

Satyajit Ray Biography

2007-09-05T15:25:00.000+05:30

Satyajit Ray Biography

Born: May 2, 1921
Died: April 23, 1992
Achievements: As a filmmaker he made a mark all over the world. Honored with Lifetime Achievement Oscar Award and Bharat Ratna.

Satyajit Ray was a giant of Indian cinema. He was an excellent filmmaker and his films made a mark all over the world. He is one of the few Indian filmmakers whose work has been acknowledged abroad. For his invaluable contribution to the world of cinema Satyajit Ray was honored with Oscar Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Satyajit Ray was born on May 2, 1921, in an intellectual and affluent family in Calcutta. His father's name was Sukumar Ray and his mother's name was Suprabha Ray. His grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray was a distinguished writer, painter, a violin player and a composer. He was also a pioneer in half-tone block making and founded one of the finest presses in the country - U. Ray & Sons. In 1880s, Ray family had embraced 'Brahmo Samaj', sect within Hindu society. The progressive outlook of the Brahmo Samaj strongly influenced Satyajit Ray's work.

In 1923, when Satyajit was only 2-years-old his father Sukumar Ray died of kala-azar. In 1926, about three years after his father's death, the ancestral printing business changed hands and Satyajit and his mother had to move out of their spacious house. Satyajit Ray moved to his maternal uncle's house along with his mother.

At an age of eight, Satyajit joined Ballygunj Government School. He was an average student. While he was at school he developed interest in films. He regularly read Hollywood trivia in magazines and also developed interest in Western classical music. In 1936, Satyajit Ray passed his matriculation and joined Presidency College for further studies. He graduated in economics in 1939. He decided to give up further studies.

Satyajit Ray had a natural flair for drawing and he wanted to become a commercial artist. At the suggestion of his mother he joined Rabindranath Tagore's Vishva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan in 1940. Trips to nearby villages for sketching exercises, were his first encounters with rural India. During this period, he discovered the oriental art-Indian sculpture and miniature painting, Japanese woodcuts and Chinese landscapes et al.

At Shantiniketan Satyajit Ray also found means to pursue his interest in music and films. A German Jew, professor of English, had a collection of western classical records. Ray would often listen to music at his cottage in the evenings. He also found books on cinema in the university library. In 1942, Satyajit Ray left Shantiniketan.

In April 1943, Satyajit Ray joined a British-run advertising agency, D.J. Keymer, as a junior visualiser. Within a few years, he rose to be its art director. In 1948, he married Bijoya Das, a former actress/singer who also happened to be his cousin. In 1950, Satyajit Ray went on a business trip to London, along with his wife. With him, he was carrying a notebook in which he had made some notes on making a film of Pather Panchali. He wanted the film to be shot on actual locations, no make-up with new faces. Shooting on locations with unknown actors was thought be a totally unfeasible idea in those times and he received negative reaction from most of his friends in this regard.

In this six-months long stay abroad, Satyajit Ray saw about a hundred films including Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves. The film made a profound impression on Satyajit Ray. Bicycle Thieves reconfirmed his conviction that it was possible to make realistic cinema with an almost entirely amateur cast and shooting at actual locations.

After his return in late 1950, with absolutely no experience in movie-making, Satyajit Ray collected a group of young men to work as technicians. While looking for financial backers, he approached widow of Bibhuti Bhusan Banerjee, the writer of Pather Panchali for film rights. She gave her oral assurance and retained her faith in Satyajit Ray despite a better financial offer. Satyajit Ray spent two years in vain looking for a producer.

Unable to find a producer, Satyajit Ray decided that unless he could prove his bona fides by producing a few sequences of the film, he was not likely to find financial backing. He borrowed money and shot a few scenes. The cast was a mix of professional actors and a few with no prior experience in acting. Only Subir Banerjee who played Apu, Karuna Banerjee who played Apu's mother, and the villagers who played other smaller roles, had no prior experience of acting. The rest had either acted in films or theatre. Boral, a small village on the outskirts of Calcutta was the major location, where the film was shot.

Meanwhile, the State Government of West Bengal agreed to fund the film. The money from the Government came in installments and before each installment, the accounts had to be submitted and cleared by the government. This was a time consuming process. Finally, on August 26, 1955, Pather Panchali was released in Calcutta. It was a box-office success. The film was sent to the Cannes Films festival, 1956 and won Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival.

Pather Panchali firmly established Satyajit Ray as a world-class director and gave him total control over his subsequent films. Two sequels based on the novel (Aparajito, The Unvanquished, 1956; Apur Sansar, The World of Apu, 1959) completed the famous 'The Apu Trilogy'.

Satyajit Ray's other famous films include Parash Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone, 1958), Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), Devi (The Goddess, 1960), Teen Kanya (Two Daughters, 1961), Kanchenjungha, (1962), Charulata (The Lonely Wife, 1964), Pratidwandi (The Adversary 1970), Shantranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Ghare-Baire (Home and the World, 1984), Ganashatru (Enemy of the People, 1989), Shakha Prashakha (Branches of the Tree, 1990) and Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991).

In 1992, he accepted a Lifetime Achievement Oscar from his sickbed in Calcutta through a special live satellite-television event and was honored with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. Satyajit Ray died on April 23, 1992.

Tenzing Norgay

2007-09-05T15:24:00.001+05:30

Tenzing Norgay

Born: May 29, 1914
Died: May 9, 1986
Achievements: Tenzing Norgay became the first man along with Edmund Hillary to reach the summit of Mount Everest

Tenzing Norgay was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. Tenzing Norgay created history on May 29, 1953, when he and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first men to conquer Mount Everest.

Tenzing Norgay was born in Tshechu, presently in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. He grew up in peasant family in Khumbu in Nepal. His exact date of birth is not known but it is believed that was born in late May and later on he decided to celebrate May 29 as his birthday, as this was the date he climbed Everest. Tenzing Norgay's original name was Namgyal Wangdi, but as a child his name was changed on the advice of a lama. Norgay means fortunate. Tenzing Norgay ran away to Kathmandu twice as a boy, and eventually settled in the Sherpa community in Too Song Bhusti in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.

Tenzing Norgay took part as a high-altitude porter in three official British attempts to climb Everest from the northern Tibetan side in the 1930s. He also took part in other climbs in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. He scaled Nanda Devi, which he described as the most difficult climb he ever took. In 1947, he took part in an unsuccessful Everest attempt. The attempt ended when a strong storm at 22,000 feet pounded them.

In 1952, Tenzing Norgay took part in two Swiss expeditions led by Raymond Lambert, the first serious attempt to climb Everest from the southern Nepalese side, during which he and Lambert reached the then record height of 8,599 m (28,215 ft).

In 1953, Tenzing Norgay took part in Sir John Hunt's expedition. This was his seventh expedition to Everest. During this expedition he and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first men to reach the summit.

Conquering of Everest brought great adulation to Tenzing Norgay in India and Nepal. He was even worshipped by some people who believed him to be an incarnation of Buddha or Lord Shiva. Tenzing Norgay later became director of field training for the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In 1978, he founded a company, Tenzing Norgay Adventures that offers trekking in the Himalayas.

Tenzing Norgay married thrice. His first wife, Dawa Phuti, died young in 1944. He had two daughter from his first marriage. His second wife was Ang Lahmu, a cousin of his first wife. They had no children. Tenzing Norgay had his third marriage while his second wife was still alive, as allowed by Sherpa custom. He had a son named Jamling from this marriage. Jamling Norgay presently looks after the adventure company founded by his father.

Tenzing Norgay died on May 9, 1986 in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Rani Lakshmi Bai

2007-09-05T15:22:00.000+05:30

Rani Lakshmi Bai

Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi, which is located on the northern side of India. She was one of the most leading personalities of the first war of India's independence that started in 1857. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Rani Lakshmibai, who was an epitome of bravery and courage.

Early Life
She was born to a Maharashtrian family at Kashi (now Varanasi) in the year 1828. During her childhood, she was called by the name Manikarnika. Affectionately, her family members called her Manu. At a tender age of four, she lost her mother. As a result, the responsibility of raising her fell upon her father. While pursuing studies, she also took formal training in martial arts, which included horse riding, shooting and fencing. To know the complete life history of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, read on.

In the year 1842, she got married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao Niwalkar. On getting married, she was given the name Lakshmi Bai. Her wedding ceremony was held at the Ganesh temple, located in the old city of Jhansi. In the year 1851, she gave birth to a son. Unfortunately, the child did not survive more than four months.

In the year 1853, Gangadhar Rao fell sick and became very weak. So, the couple decided to adopt a child. To ensure that the British do not raise an issue over the adoption, Lakshmibai got this adoption witnessed by the local British representatives. On 21st November 1853, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao died.

Invasion
During that period, Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of British India. The adopted child was named Damodar Rao. As per the Hindu tradition, he was their legal heir. However, the British rulers refused to accept him as the legal heir. As per the Doctrine of Lapse, Lord Dalhousie decided to seize the state of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmibai went to a British lawyer and consulted him. Thereafter, she filed an appeal for the hearing of her case in London. But, her plea was rejected. The British authorities confiscated the state jewels. Also, an order was passed asking the Rani to leave Jhansi fort and move to the Rani Mahal in Jhansi. Laxmibai was firm about protecting the state of Jhansi.

The war
Jhansi became the focal point of uprising. Rani of Jhansi began to strengthen her position. By seeking the support of others, she formed a volunteer army. The army not just consisted of the men folk, but the women were also actively involved. Women were also given military training to fight a battle. In the revolt, Rani Lakshmibai was accompanied by her generals.

From the period between Sep-Oct 1857, Rani defended Jhansi from being invaded by the armies of the neighboring rajas of Orchha and Datia. In January 1858, the British army headed it's away towards Jhansi. The conflict went on for two weeks. Finally, the Britishers succeeded in the annexation of the city. However, Rani Laksmi Bai managed to escape along with her son, in the guise of a man.

She took refuge in Kalpi, where she met Tatya Tope, a great warrior. She died on 17thJune, during the battle for Gwalior. It is believed that, when she was lying unconscious in the battle field, a Brahmin found her and brought her to an ashram, where she died. For her immense effort, she is referred to as the 'Icon of the Indian Nationalist Movement'. Throughout the uprising, the aim of Rani was to secure the throne for her adopted son Damodar. Her story became a beacon for the upcoming generations of freedom fighters.

Lot of literature has been written on the life history of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. Heroic poems have been composed in her honor.

Sister Nivedita

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Sister Nivedita

Born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, she was more popularly known as sister Nivedita. She was an Anglo-Irish social worker, who was one amongst the many disciples of Swami Vivekananda. She came across Swami Vivekananda in the year 1895 in London. It was the Swami, who called her by the name "Nivedita". The word Nivedita is used to refer to someone who is highly dedicated to the almighty God. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Sister Nivedita, who has made a niche for herself in the arena of spirituality.

Early Life
She came into this world on October 20, 1867. She was born in Ireland as the daughter of Mary Isabel and Samuel Richmond Noble. Her father always taught her that, service to mankind is the true service to God. His words made an impression on Nivedita's mind. She was very fond of music and art. After completing her education, she took up the job of a teacher and worked there for a long period of ten consecutive years from 1884 to 1894.

She had the caliber to impart education and inspire others. From the very beginning, she was a very zealous child, who was always full of energy and enthusiasm. At an early age of eight, she had the realization that, religion is not about having belief in the Doctrines, but it is about searching for the divine light that will bring enlightenment. To know the complete life history of Sister Nivedita, read on.

Meeting Swami Vivekananda
She began taking interest in the Buddhism principles. It is during this time that she met Swami Vivekananda, a great Hindu monk. Swami Vivekanand stressed on the fact that, it is the ignorance, selfishness and greed that pave way for our sufferings. His principles and teachings had an imprint on her mind and heart and this brought about a major change in the way she lived her life. He was the one who inspired her to do something for the welfare of the women of India.

Seeing the fire and passion in her to transform the society, Swami could foresee her futuristic role as Mother India. Nivedita began practicing meditation. There were basically two things in her mind that she sincerely followed; one being the search for enlightenment by realizing the eternal truth and the other was the welfare of the world. She left all the things that she could have boasted of and decided to lead a very simplistic life.

Works
In the year 1898, Sister Nivedita established a school for girls, who were deprived of even basic education. She was instrumental in various altruistic activities. Her aim was to bring about an improvement in the lives of Indian women belonging to various social classes and castes. She tried to bridge the gap and put an end to the caste distinctions.

She had good relations with many intellectuals of the Bengali community such as Rabindranath Tagore, the famous Nobel laureate writer. During the later years of her life, she engaged in activities that promoted and brought forth the cause of India's Independence. Her writings expressed her pan-Indian nationalist views.

She was a motivating force for people in all walks of life. Her lectures and various discourses gave people, direction on how to lead their lives. Throughout her life, she worked hard for serving the people and society at large. This started having adverse effects on her health. Finally, this great soul left for her heavenly abode on October 13, 1911.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Biography

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Raja Ram Mohan Roy Biography

Born: May 22, 1772
Died: September 27, 1833
Achievements: Founded Atmiya Sabha and Brahma Samaj. Played a key role in abolition and Sati. Fought for the rights of women.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is known as the 'Maker of Modern India'. He was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, one of the first Indian socio-religious reform movements. He played a major role in abolishing the role of Sati. Raja Rammohan Roy was a great scholar and an independent thinker. He advocated the study of English, Science, Western Medicine and Technology. He was given the title 'Raja' by the Mughal Emperor.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on May 22, 1772 in village Radhanagar in the District of Murshidabad in Bengal. His father Ramkanto Roy, was a Vaishnavite, while his mother, Tarini, was from a Shakta background. Raja Ram Mohun Roy was sent to Patna for higher studies. By the age of fifteen, Raja Rammohun Roy had learnt Bangla, Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was against idol worship and orthodox Hindu rituals. He stood firmly against all sort of social bigotry, conservatism and superstitions. But his father was an orthodox Hindu Brahmin. This led to differences between Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his father. Following differences he left the house . He wandered around Himalayas and went to Tibet. He traveled widely before returning home.

After his return Raja Ram Mohan Roy's family married him in the hope that he would change. But this did not have any effect on him. Raja Ram Mohan Roy went to Varanasi and studied the Vedas, the Upanishads and Hindu philosophy deeply. When his father died in 1803 he returned to Murshidabad. He then worked as a moneylender in Calcutta, and from 1809 to 1814, he served in the Revenue Department of the East India Company.

In 1814, Raja Ram Mohan Roy formed Atmiya Sabha. Atmiya Sabha tried to initiate social and religious reforms in the society. Raja Ram Mohan Roy campaigned for rights for women, including the right for widows to remarry, and the right for women to hold property. He actively opposed Sati system and the practice of polygamy.

He also supported education, particularly education of women. He believed that English-language education was superior to the traditional Indian education system, and he opposed the use

Medha Patkar

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Medha Patkar

Medha Patkar is a well known social activist of India. She was born on 1st December in the year 1954. Prior to becoming a social reformer, she completed her M.A. in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).She left Ph. D. in the midst and got actively involved in the agitations conducted by tribals and peasants of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. This paved way for the formation of the organization named Narmada Bachao Andolan. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Medha Patkar, who has contributed a lot in improving the living conditions of people.

Hunger strike
On 28th March, 2006, Medha went on a hunger strike, in protest of the decision taken by the authorities, to increase the height of the Narmada dam. The strike continued for a long period of 20 days and finally came to an end on April 17, 2006. The Supreme Court rejected the plea of Narmada Bachao Andolan to stop the construction of the dam. To know the complete life history of Medha Patkar, read on.

Detainment by Police
On December 2, 2006, Medha was arrested by the police at Singur in West Bengal, for her active involvement in the protest against getting the hold of farmland. She was detained, because the police officers thought that, she might provoke people, thus leading to law and order problem.

Foreign Fund and Anti-National Activities
The Madhya Pradesh Government alleged the Narmada Bachao Andolan of receiving foreign funds and using them for unclear purposes. They claimed that, the money that was obtained was being used by the organization to hamper the rehabilitation process.

Awards and Honors

She was a recipient of Right Livelihood Award (1991)
M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award (1999)
Deena Nath Mangeshkar Award
Mahatma Phule Award
Goldman Environment Prize
Green Ribbon Award
Human Rights Defender's Award

Kiran Bedi

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Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi is truly an icon of heroism. She was the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police Services. She was born on June 9, 1949 at Amritsar in Punjab. She is one of the most renowned police officers, who have put in their whole hearted effort in serving the society. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Kiran Bedi, who is the pride of our Indian police force.

In the recent times, she has been appointed as the Director General of India's Bureau of Police Research and Development. Earlier, she served as the Police Advisor in the United Nations peacekeeping department. For her noteworthy performance, she was awarded with the UN medal. In the year 2005, she received the honorary degree of Doctor of Law. To know the complete life history of Kiran Bedi, read on…

Education
She did her schooling from the Sacred Heart Convent School in Amritsar. She completed her graduation in the English language from the Government College for Women in Amritsar. She received her Masters degree in Political Science from Punjab University, Chandigarh. She continued her studies, even when she joined the Indian Police force. In the year 1988, she obtained a degree in Law (LLB) from Delhi University.

In the year 1993, the Department of Social Sciences, the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi awarded her with a Ph.D. degree. Her topic of research was Drug Abuse and Domestic Violence. Kiran Bedi has won the championship of all-India and all-Asian tennis competition. When she was 22 years old, she won the Asian Ladies Title.

Career
Her career started in the year 1970, when she took the job of a lecturer at Khalsa College for Women in Amritsar. Two years later, she joined the Indian Police Services. All the way through her career, she has taken up a number of challenging assignments. She has served as the Traffic Commissioner of New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in the insurgency prone area of Mizoram.

She has also been the Lieutenant Governor of Chandigarh and Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau. An interesting thing about Kiran Bedi is that, sometimes, she is referred to as Crane Bedi. The reason behind calling her by this name is that, she dragged the car of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi due to violation of parking rules.

Kiran Bedi made the Indian Police Service change its decision in matters related to traffic management, control over narcotics and VIP security. During her tenure as the Inspector General of Tihar Jail, she brought about several reforms in the way the prisons are managed. She brought forth a number of measures like yoga, meditation, redressal of complaints made by the prisoners etc.

Kiran Bedi laid the foundation for the establishment of two voluntary organizations, namely, Navajyoti (1988) & India Vision Foundation (1994). These organizations were primarily set up with the aim of improving the living conditions of the drug addicts and the underprivileged people. The effort of Kiran Bedi has paid and brought her worldwide recognition. Her works have always earned appreciation. For drug abuse prevention, her organization was presented with the Serge Soitiroff Memorial Award by the United Nations.

Awards
For her outstanding work, Kiran Bedi has received a number of accolades like:

President's Gallantry Award (1979)
Women of the Year Award (1980)
Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention and Control (1991)
Magsaysay Award for Government Service (1994)
Mahila Shiromani Award (1995)
Father Machismo Humanitarian Award (1995)
Lion of the Year (1995)
Joseph Beuys Award (1997)
Pride of India (1999)
Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice (2005)

Vinoba Bhav

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Vinoba Bhave

Born: September 11, 1895
Died: November 15, 1982
Achievements: Launched Bhoodan and Sarvodaya movements; awarded with Bharat Ratna

Vinoba Bhave was reverently called as Acharya Vinoba Bhave. He was considered as Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual successor. His Bhoodan (Gift of the Land) movement started on April 18, 1951 attracted the attention of the world.

Vinobha Bhave’s original name was Vinayak Narahari Bhave. He was born in a Brahmin family on September 11, 1895 at the village of Gagoda in Kolaba district of Maharashtra. He was greatly influenced by his mother Rukmini Devi. Vinoba Bhave was well-read in the writings of Maharashtra's saints and philosophers. He was also deeply interested in Mathematics. In 1916, while on his way to Mumbai to appear for the intermediate examination, he took a detour and reached Varanasi. He was motivated by his desire to attain the imperishable and all pervading Brahma. In Varanasi he studied ancient Sanskrit texts.

Inspired by Gandhiji’s speech at the Benaras Hindu University Vinoba Bhave wrote a letter to Gandhiji and after a few exchange of letters Gandhiji advised Vinoba Bhave to come for a personal meeting at Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad. Vinobha Bhave went and met Gandhiji on June 7, 1916 and this meeting changed the course of Vinoba Bhave’s life. He developed a deep bond with Gandhiji and participated with keen interest in the activities at Gandhi's ashram, like teaching, studying, spinning and improving the life of the community.

In 1921, Vinoba Bhave was asked by Gandhiji to take charge of the ashram at Wardha. In 1923, he brought out `Maharashtra Dharma', a monthly in Marathi, which had his essays on the Upanishads. He increased his involvement with Gandhiji's constructive programmes related to Khadi, village industries, new education, sanitation and hygiene.

In December 23, 1932, he shifted to Nalwadi from where he experimented his idea of supporting himself by spinning alone. Later, when he was sick in 1938, he shifted to what he called Paramdham Ashram in Paunar, which remained his headquarters. In 1940 he was chosen by Gandhi to be the first Individual Satyagrahi. Vinoba Bhave also participated in the Quit India Movement.

After independence he started social reform movements such as Bhoodan Movement and Sarvodaya Movement. He also made some notorious dacoits of Chambal surrender. In 1970, he announced his decision to stay at one place. He observed a year of silence from December 25, 1974 to December 25, 1975. In 1976, he undertook a fast to stop the slaughter of cows. His spiritual pursuits intensified as he withdrew from the activities. He died on November 15, 1982 after refusing food and medicine few days earlier. He was posthumously honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1984.

Swami Vivekananda

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Swami Vivekananda

Born: January 12, 1863
Died: July 4, 1902
Achievements: Played a major role in spiritual enlightenment of Indian masses; Spread Vedanta philosophy in the West; established Ramakrishna Mission for the service of the poor.

Swami Vivekananda was one of the most influential spiritual leaders of Vedanta philosophy. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa and was the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda was the living embodiment of sacrifice and dedicated his life to the country and yearned for the progress of the poor, the helpless and the downtrodden. He showed a beacon of light to a nation that had lost faith in its ability under British rule and inspired self-confidence among Indians that they are second to none. His ringing words and masterful oratory galvanized the slumbering nation.

Swami Vivekananda real name was Narendranath Dutta. He was born on January12, 1863 in Calcutta. His father's name was Vishwanath Dutta and his mother's name Bhuvaneswari Devi. Narendranath acquired the name of Swami Vivekananda when he became a monk.

As a child Narendra was very lively and naughty. He was good in studies as well as in games. He studied instrumental and vocal music and also practiced meditation from a very early age. Even when Narendra was young he questioned the validity of superstitious customs and discrimination based on caste and religion. As a child Narendra had great respect for sanyasis (ascetics). He would give away anything to anybody if asked for. Whenever a beggar asked for alms, he would give him anything he had. Thus from childhood Narendra had the spirit of sacrifice and renunciation.

In 1879, Narendra passed matriculation and entered Presidency College, Calcutta. After one year, he joined the Scottish Church College, Calcutta and studied philosophy. He studied western logic, western philosophy and history of European nations. As he advanced in his studies, his thinking faculty developed. Doubts regarding existence of God started to arise in Narendra's mind. This made him associate with the Brahmo Samaj, an important religious movement of the time, led by Keshab Chandra Sen. But the Samaj's congregational prayers and devotional songs could not satisfy Narendra's zeal to realise God.

During this time Narendra came to know of Sri Ramakrishna Pramahans of Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna was a priest in the temple of Goddess Kali. He was not a scholar. But he was a great devotee. It was being said of him that he had realized God. Once, Narendra went to Dakshineswar to with his friends see him. He asked Ramakrishna, whether he had seen God. The instantaneous answer from Ramakrishna was, "Yes, I have seen God, just as I see you here, only in a more clear sense." Narendra was astounded and puzzled. He could feel the man's words were honest and uttered from depths of experience. He started visiting Ramakrishna frequently.

It was in Narendra's nature to test something thoroughly before he could accept it. He would not accept Ramakrishna as his guru without a test. Ramakrishna used to say that, in order to realize God, one should give up the desire for money and women. One day Narendra hid a rupee under his pillow. Sri Ramakrishna, who had gone out, came into the room and stretched himself on the cot. At once he jumped up as if bitten by a scorpion. When he shook the mattress, the rupee coin fell down. Later he came to know that it was the doing of Narendra. Narendra accepted Sri Ramakrishna as his guru and took training under him for five years in the Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-dualism. Sri Ramakrishna passed away in 1886 and nominated Narendra as his successor. After his death Narendra and a core group of Ramakrishna's disciples took vows to become monks and renounce everything, and started living in a supposedly haunted house in Baranagore.

In 1890, Narendra set out on a long journey. He covered the length and breadth of the country. He visited Varanasi, Ayodhya, Agra, Vrindavan, Alwar etc. Narendra acquired the name of Swami Vivekananda during the journey. It is said that he was given the name Vivekananda by Maharaja of Khetri for his discrimination of things, good and bad. During his journey, Vivekananda stayed at king's palaces, as well as at the huts of the poor. He came in close contact with the cultures of different regions of India and various classes of people in India. Vivekananda observed the imbalance in society and tyranny in the name of caste. He realised the need for a national rejuvenation if India was to survive at all.

Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent on December24, 1892. He swam across the sea and started meditating on a lone rock. He meditated for three days and said later that he meditated about the past, present and future of India. The rock is presently popular as Vivekananda memorial and is a major tourist destination.

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to America to attend the Conference of World Religions in Chicago. He earned wild applause for beginning his address with the famous words, "Sisters and brothers of America." Swamiji mesmerized everyone in America with his masterful oratory. Wherever he went, he dwelt at length on the greatness of Indian Culture. He spoke with spontaneous ease on every topic, be it History, Sociology, Philosophy or Literature. He deplored the malicious propaganda that had been unleashed by the Christian missionaries in India. Swami Vivekananda also went to England. Many people became his disciples. Most famous among them was Margaret Nivedita'. She came to India and settled here.

Swami Vivekananda returned to India in 1897 after four years of touring in the West. He started disseminating the message of spiritual development among Indians. He realized that social service was possible only through the concerted efforts on an organized mission. To achieve this objective, Swami Vivekananda started Sri Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 and formulated its ideology and goal. During the next two years he bought a site at Belur on the banks of the Ganga, constructed the buildings and established the Ramakrishna Mutt. He once again toured the West from January 1899 to December 1900.

Swami Vivekananda died on July4, 1902 at Belur Mutt near Calcutta.

Srinivasa Ramanujan

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Srinivasa Ramanujan

Born: December 22, 1887
Died: April 26, 1920
Achievements: Ramanujan independently discovered results of Gauss, Kummer and others on hypergeometric series. Ramanujan's own work on partial sums and products of hypergeometric series have led to major development in the topic. His most famous work was on the number p(n) of partitions of an integer n into summands.

Srinivasa Ramanujan was a mathematician par excellence. He is widely believed to be the greatest mathematician of the 20th Century. Srinivasa Ramanujan made significant contribution to the analytical theory of numbers and worked on elliptic functions, continued fractions, and infinite series.

Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan was born on December 22, 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu. His father worked in Kumbakonam as a clerk in a cloth merchant's shop. At the of five Ramanujan went to primary school in Kumbakonam. In 1898 at age 10, he entered the Town High School in Kumbakonam. At the age of eleven he was lent books on advanced trigonometry written by S. L. Loney by two lodgers at his home who studied at the Government college. He mastered them by the age of thirteen. Ramanujan was a bright student, winning academic prizes in high school.

At age of 16 his life took a decisive turn after he obtained a book titled" A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics". The book was simply a compilation of thousands of mathematical results, most set down with little or no indication of proof. The book generated Ramanujan's interest in mathematics and he worked through the book's results and beyond. By 1904 Ramanujan had begun to undertake deep research. He investigated the series (1/n) and calculated Euler's constant to 15 decimal places. He began to study the Bernoulli numbers, although this was entirely his own independent discovery. He was given a scholarship to the Government College in Kumbakonam which he entered in 1904. But he neglected his other subjects at the cost of mathematics and failed in college examination. He dropped out of the college.

Ramanujan lived off the charity of friends, filling notebooks with mathematical discoveries and seeking patrons to support his work. In 1906 Ramanujan went to Madras where he entered Pachaiyappa's College. His aim was to pass the First Arts examination which would allow him to be admitted to the University of Madras. Continuing his mathematical work Ramanujan studied continued fractions and divergent series in 1908. At this stage he became seriously ill again and underwent an operation in April 1909 after which he took him some considerable time to recover.

On 14 July 1909 Ramanujan marry a ten year old girl S Janaki Ammal. During this period Ramanujan had his first paper published, a 17-page work on Bernoulli numbers that appeared in 1911 in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society. In 191,1 Ramanujan approached the founder of the Indian Mathematical Society for advice on a job. He got the job of clerk at the Madras Port Trust with the help of Indian mathematician Ramachandra Rao.

The professor of civil engineering at the Madras Engineering College C L T Griffith was interested in Ramanujan's abilities and, having been educated at University College London, knew the professor of mathematics there, namely M J M Hill. He wrote to Hill on 12 November 1912 sending some of Ramanujan's work and a copy of his 1911 paper on Bernoulli numbers. Hill replied in a fairly encouraging way but showed that he had failed to understand Ramanujan's results on divergent series. In January 1913 Ramanujan wrote to G H Hardy having seen a copy of his 1910 book Orders of infinity. Hardy, together with Littlewood, studied the long list of unproved theorems which Ramanujan enclosed with his letter. Hardy wrote back to Ramanujan and evinced interest in his work.

University of Madras gave Ramanujan a scholarship in May 1913 for two years and, in 1914, Hardy brought Ramanujan to Trinity College, Cambridge, to begin an extraordinary collaboration. Right from the start Ramanujan's collaboration with Hardy led to important results. In a joint paper with Hardy, Ramanujan gave an asymptotic formula for p(n). It had the remarkable property that it appeared to give the correct value of p(n), and this was later proved by Rademacher.

Ramanujan had problems settling in London. He was an orthodox Brahmin and right from the beginning he had problems with his diet. The outbreak of World War I made obtaining special items of food harder and it was not long before Ramanujan had health problems.

On 16 March 1916 Ramanujan graduated from Cambridge with a Bachelor of Science by Research. He had been allowed to enrol in June 1914 despite not having the proper qualifications. Ramanujan's dissertation was on Highly composite numbers and consisted of seven of his papers published in England.

Ramanujan fell seriously ill in 1917 and his doctors feared that he would die. He did improve a little by September but spent most of his time in various nursing homes. On February 18, 1918 Ramanujan was elected a fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and later he was also elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of London. By the end of November 1918 Ramanujan's health had greatly improved.

Ramanujan sailed to India on 27 February 1919 arriving on 13 March. However his health was very poor and, despite medical treatment, he died on April 6, 1920.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa Biography

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Ramakrishna Paramhansa Biography

Born: February 18, 1836
Died: August 16, 1886
Achievements: Provided spiritual enlightenment to the people of Bengal and played a key role in the social reform movement in Bengal in 19th century

Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one of the foremost Hindu spiritual leaders of the country. His teachings are still deeply revered by the people. He also played a key role in the social reform movement in Bengal in 19th century.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa's original name was Gadadhar Chattopadhyay. He was born on February 18, 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur, in what is now the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Gadadhar Chattopadhyay's parents were Khudiram and Chandramani. Ramakrishna was born in a poor family and his parents were hardly able to make both ends meet. Ramakrishna disliked going to school, and was not interested in the pursuit of money. Ramakrishna loved nature and liked meeting monks who stopped at his village on their way to Puri.

Right from childhood Ramakrishna Paramhansa was an iconoclast. At his investiture ceremony (Upanayna) he shocked everyone when he declared that he would have his first alms as a Brahmin from a certain Sudra woman of the village. No argument or appeal was able to budge him from his position. Finally, Ramkumar, his eldest brother and the head of the family after the passing away of their father, gave in.

Ramakrishna's elder brother Ramkumar ran a Sanskrit school in Calcutta and also served as priest in some families. During this time, a rich woman of Calcutta, Rani Rashmoni, founded a temple at Dakshineswar. She approached Ramkumar to serve as priest at the temple of Kali and Ramkumar agreed. Ramakrishna decorated the deity and when Ramkumar retired, Ramakrishna took his place as priest.

When Ramakrishna started worshipping the deity Bhavatarini, he began to question if he was worshipping a piece of stone or a living Goddess. This question disturbed him day and night. He prayed to Goddess Kali to reveal Herself to him. One day he was so impatient to see Mother Kali that he decided to end his life. He seized a sword hanging on the wall and was about to strike himself with it, when he is reported to have seen light coming from the deity in waves. He is said to have been soon overwhelmed by the waves and fell unconscious on the floor. Ramakrishna prayed to Goddess Kali for more religious experiences and he is believed to have experienced number of them.

Soon he became popular and drawn by the magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna's divine personality, people flocked to him from far and near. People of all ages, caste, and religion visited him. Ramakrishna Paramhansa's small room in the Dakshineswar temple garden on the outskirts of the city of Calcutta became a veritable parliament of religions.

Ramakrishna emphasised that God-realisation is the supreme goal of all living beings. Hence, for him, religion served as a means for the achievement of this goal. Ramakrishna's mystical realization, classified by Hindu tradition as nirvikalpa samadhi (constant meditation), led him to believe that various religions are various ways to reach the Absolute, and that the Ultimate Reality could never be expressed in human terms.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa taught ceaselessly for fifteen years the basic truths of religion through parables, metaphors, songs and by his own life. He developed throat cancer and attained Mahasamadhi on August 16, 1886, leaving behind a devoted band of 16 young disciples headed by the well-known saint-philosopher and orator, Swami Vivekananda.

Dayanand Saraswati Biography

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Dayanand Saraswati Biography

Born: 1824
Died: 1883
Achievements: Founded Arya Samaj and established gurukuls to impart vedic education.

Dayanand Saraswati was one of the most radical socio-religious reformers in the history of India. Swami Dayanand Saraswati was the founder of Arya Samaj and propagated egalitarian approach of the Vedas at a time when widespread casteism was prevalent in the society.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati's original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. He was born in 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat in a rich family of Brahmins. As a child Dayanand was brought up under the strictest Brahmin rule, and at the age of eight was invested with the Sacred Thread (Upanayna). When he was fourteen his father took him to the temple on the occasion of Shivaratri. Dayanand had to fast and keep awake the whole night in obedience to Lord Shiva. In the night he saw a rat nibbling the offerings to the God and running over Shiva's body. He tried to find out from elders why this "God Almighty" could not defend himself against the menace of a petty mice, for which he was rebuked. This incident shattered Daya Nand Saraswati's faith in the idol worship and thereafter he refused to participate in the religious rites for the rest of his life.

At the age of nineteen Dayanand Saraswati ran away from home to escape from a forced marriage. He was caught and imprisoned. He fled again in1845. For fifteen years he wandered all over the country in the search of a guru. In 1860, he found his guru and mentor Swami Virjanand Saraswati at Mathura. He was blind. Dayanand Saraswati underwent rigorous training under Swami Virjanand Saraswati. Virjanand Saraswati gave him the name Dayanand and as gurudakshina extracted promise from Dayanand that he would devote his life for revival of Hinduism.

Dayanand Saraswati undertook a tour of the entire county, made fiery speeches condemning the caste system, idolatry, and child marriages. He advocated the ideal age for a girl to be between 16 and 24, and for men between 25 and 40. Dayanand Saraswati was the first leader in the field of theology who welcomed the advances of sciences and technology. To him, the Vedas as the source book contain the seed of science, and to him, the Vedas advocate the philosophy of dynamic realism.

Dayanand Saraswati founded Arya Samaj in Mumbai in 1875 to promote social service. Arya Samaj, postulates in principle equal justice for all men and all nations, together with equality of the sexes. It repudiates a hereditary caste system, and only recognizes professions or guilds, suitable to the complementary aptitudes of men in society. He gave new interpretations to reform the stagnant Hindu thought through his book "Satyaprakash" (The Light of Truth). He profusely quoted the vedas and other religious texts to insist that salvation was not the only motto of a Hindu or Arya, as was believed. To lead a fruitful worldly life, working for a noble cause was important, and he preached that salvation was possible through social service.

Due to his radical thought, Swami Dayanand had acquired enemies from all spheres of life. On the occasion of Deepavali in 1883, he was a guest of the maharaja of Jodhpur. The king was a womanizer and Dayanand advised the king to lead a righteous life as a ruler, upsetting a mistress by the name of Nanhi Jan. That night Swami Dayanand was poisoned during the festival meal. Swami Dayanand Saraswati breathed his last chanting "Om".

Vikram Sarabhai

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Vikram Sarabhai

Born: August 12, 1919
Died: December 31,1971
Achievements: Considered the Father of the Indian space program; instrumental in establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad in November 1947; was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. He along with other Ahmedabad-based industrialists played a major role in the creation of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Vikram Sarabhai was one of the greatest scientists of India. He is considered as the Father of the Indian space program. Apart from being a scientist, he was a rare combination of an innovator, industrialist and visionary.

Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was born on August 12, 1919 at Ahmedabad in an affluent family of progressive industrialists. He was one of eight children of Ambalal and Sarla Devi. He had his early education in a private school, “Retreat” run by his parents on Montessori lines. Some of the great men of India such as Gurudev Rabindranath, J. Krishna Murthi, Motilal Nehru, V. S. Shrinivasa Shastri, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Maulana Azad, C. F. Andrews, C. V. Raman et al. used to stay with the Sarabhai family when they visited Ahmedabad. Mahatma Gandhi also once stayed at their house while recovering from an illness. Visits by such great men greatly influenced Vikram Sarabhai.

After his matriculation, Vikram Sarabhai proceeded to Cambridge for his college education and took the tripods degree from St. John's college in 1940. When World War II began, he returned home and joined as a research scholar under Sir C. V. Raman at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore His interest in solar physics and cosmic ray led him to set up many observation stations around the country. He built the necessary equipment with which he took measurements at Bangalore, Poona and the Himalayas. He returned to Cambridge in 1945 and completed his Ph.D in 1947.

Vikram Sarabhai was instrumental in establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad in November 1947. The laboratory was established in a few rooms in M.G. Science Institute of the Ahmedabad Education Society, which was founded by his parents. Subsequently, it got support from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Atomic Energy.

Vikram Sarabhai did research on the time variations of cosmic rays and concluded that meteorological effects could not entirely affect the observed daily variations of cosmic rays; further, the residual variations were wide and global and these were related to variations in solar activity. Vikram Sarabhai visualized a new field of research opening up in solar and interplanetary Physics.

The year 1957-1958 was designated as International Geo-physical year (IGY). The Indian program for the IGY had been one of the most significant ventures of Sarabhai. It exposed him to the new vistas of space science with the launching in 1957 of Sputnik-I. Subsequently, the Indian National Committee for Space Research was created, of which Vikram Sarabhai became Chairman.

With active support from Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, set up the first Rocket Launching station (TERLS) in the country at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram on the Arabian Coast, as Thumba is very close to the Equator. The first rocket with sodium vapour payload was launched on November 21, 1963. In 1965, the UN General Assembly gave recognition to TERLS as an international facility.

After the sudden death of Homi Bhabha in an air crash, Vikram Sarabhai was appointed Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission in May 1966. He wanted the practical application of science to reach the common man. He decided to acquire competence in advance technology for the solution of country’s problems based on technical and economic evaluation of its real resources. He initiated India’s space programme, which today is renowned all over the world.

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was awarded with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal in 1962 and Padma Bhushan in 1966. Vikram Sarabhai passed away in his sleep on December 31,1971.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

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Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Born: October 19, 1910
Died: August 21, 1995
Achievements: Discovery of Chandrasekhar Limit; awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. He did commendable work in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics. Chandrasekhar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was born on October 19, 1910 in Lahore. His father, Chandrasekhara Subrahmanya Ayyar was an officer in Government Service in the Indian Audits and Accounts Department. His mother Sita was a woman of high intellectual attainments. C.V. Raman, the first Indian to get Nobel Prize in science was the younger brother of Chandrasekhar's father. Till the age of 12, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar had his education at home under his parents and private tutors. In 1922, at the age of 12, he attended the Hindu High School. He joined the Madras Presidency College in 1925. Subrahmanyan Chandrashekhar passed his Bachelor's degree, B.Sc. (Hon.), in physics in June 1930. In July 1930, he was awarded a Government of India scholarship for graduate studies in Cambridge, England.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar completed his Ph.D. degree at Cambridge in the summer of 1933. In October 1933, Chandrasekhar was elected to a Prize Fellowship at Trinity College for the period 1933-37. In 1936, while on a short visit to Harvard University, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, was offered a position as a Research Associate at the University of Chicago and remained there ever since. In September 1936, Subrahmanyan Chandra Shekhar married Lomita Doraiswamy. She was her junior at the Presidency College in Madras.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar is best known for his discovery of Chandrasekhar Limit. He showed that there is a maximum mass which can be supported against gravity by pressure made up of electrons and atomic nuclei. The value of this limit is about 1.44 times a solar mass. The Chandrasekhar Limit plays a crucial role in understanding the stellar evolution. If the mass of a star exceeded this limit, the star would not become a white dwarf. It would continue to collapse under the extreme pressure of gravitational forces. The formulation of the Chandrasekhar Limit led to the discovery of neutron stars and black holes. Depending on the mass there are three possible final stages of a star - white dwarf, neutron star and black hole.

Apart from discovery of Chandrasekhar Limit, major work done by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar includes: theory of Brownian motion (1938-1943); theory of the illumination and the polarization of the sunlit sky (1943-1950); theory of the illumination and the polarization of the sunlit sky (1943-1950); the equilibrium and the stability of ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium, partly in collaboration with Norman R. Lebovitz (1961-1968); the general theory of relativity and relativistic astrophysics (1962-1971); and the mathematical theory of black holes (1974- 1983).

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was awarded (jointly with the nuclear astrophysicist W.A. Fowler) the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983. He died on August 21, 1995.

Satyendra Nath Bose Biography

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Satyendra Nath Bose Biography

Born: January 1, 1894
Died: February 4, 1974
Achievements: Famous for "Bose-Einstein Theory". A subatomic particle Boson has been named after him. Honored with "Padma Bhushan".

Satyendra Nath Bose was an outstanding Indian physicist. He is known for his work in Quantum Physics. He is famous for "Bose-Einstein Theory" and a kind of particle in atom has been named after his name as Boson.

Satyendranath Bose was born on January 1, 1894 in Calcutta. His father Surendranath Bose was employed in the Engineering Department of the East India Railway. Satyendranath was the eldest of his seven children.

Satyendra Nath Bose had his schooling from Hindu High School in Calcutta. He was a brilliant student. He passed the ISc in 1911 from the Presidency College, Calcutta securing the first position. Satyendra Nath Bose did his BSc in Mathematics from the Presidency College in 1913 and MSc in Mixed Mathematics in 1915 from the same college. He topped the university in BSc. and MSc. Exams.

In 1916, the Calcutta University started M.Sc. classes in Modern Mathematics and Modern Physics. S.N. Bose started his career in 1916 as a Lecturer in Physics in Calcutta University. He served here from 1916 to 1921. He joined the newly established Dhaka University in 1921 as a Reader in the Department of Physics. In 1924, Satyendra Nath Bose published an article titled Max Planck's Law and Light Quantum Hypothesis. This article was sent to Albert Einstein. Einstein appreciated it so much that he himself translated it into German and sent it for publication to a famous periodical in Germany - 'Zeitschrift fur Physik'. The hypothesis received a great attention and was highly appreciated by the scientists. It became famous to the scientists as 'Bose-Einstein Theory'.

In 1926, Satyendra Nath Bose became a Professor of Physics in Dhaka University. Though he had not completed his doctorate till then, he was appointed as professor on Einstein's recommendation. In 1929 Satyendranath Bose was elected chairman of the Physics of the Indian Science Congress and in 1944 elected full chairman of the Congress. In 1945, he was appointed as Khaira Professor of Physics in Calcutta University. He retired from Calcutta University in 1956. The University honored him on his retirement by appointing him as Emeritus Professor. Later he became the Vice Chancellor of the Viswabharati University. In 1958, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, London.

Satyendra Nath Bose was honored with 'Padmabhusan' by the Indian Government in recognition of his outstanding achievement. He died in Kolkata on February 4, 1974.

M. Visvesvaraya Biography

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M. Visvesvaraya Biography

Born: September 15, 1860
Died: April 14, 1962
Achievements: Architect of Krishnarajasagar Dam; devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams; honored with Bharat Ratna.

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an eminent engineer and statesman and played a key role in building of modern India.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1860 in Muddenahalli village in the Kolar district of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore (present day Karnataka). His father Srinivasa Sastry was a Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedic practitioner. His mother Venkachamma was a religious lady. He lost his father when he was only 15 years old.

Visvesvaraya completed his early education in Chikkaballapur and then went to Bangalore for higher education. He cleared his B.A. Examination in 1881. He got some assistance from the Government of Mysore and joined the Science College in Poona to study Engineering. In 1883 he ranked first in the L.C.E. and the F.C.E. Examinations (equivalent to B.E. Examination of today).

When Sir M. Visvesvaraya cleared his engineering, Government of Bombay offered him a job and appointed him Assistant Engineer at Nasik. As an engineer, he achieved some marvelous feats. He planned a way of supplying water from the river Sindhu to a town called Sukkur. He devised a new irrigation system called the Block System. He devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams. He was the architect of the Krishnaraja Sagara dam in Mysore. The list is endless.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya lead a very simple life. He was a strict vegetarian and a teetotaler. He was known for his honesty and integrity. In 1912, Maharaja of Mysore appointed Visvesvaraya as his Dewan. Before accepting the position of Dewan of Mysore, he invited all his relatives for dinner. He told them very clearly that he would accept the prestigious office on the condition that none of them would approach him for favours. As Dewan of Mysore, he worked tirelessly for educational and industrial development of the state. When he was the Dewan many new industries came up. The Sandal Oil Factory, the Soap Factory, the Metals Factory, the Chrome Tanning Factory , were some of them. Of the many factories he started the most important is the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya voluntarily retired as Dewan of Mysore in 1918. He worked actively even after his retirement. Sir M. Visvesvaraya was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his invaluable contribution to the nation. When he reached the age of 100, the Government of India brought out a stamp in his honor. Sir Visvesvaraya passed away on April 14, 1962 at the age of 101.

Some of the honours and laurels conferred on Sir M. Visvesvaraya

1904: Honorary Membership of London Institution of Civil Engineers for an unbroken period of 50 years
1906: "Kaisar-i-Hind" in recognition of his services
1911: C.I.E. (Companion of the Indian Empire) at the Delhi Darbar
1915: K.C.I.E. (Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire)
1921: D.Sc. - Calcutta University
1931: LLD - Bombay University
1937: D.Litt - Benaras Hindu University
1943: Elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Institution of Engineers (India)
1944: D.Sc. - Allahabad University
1948: Doctorate - LLD., Mysore University
1953: D.Litt - Andhra University
1953: Awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Town Planners, India
1955: Conferred ' BHARATHA RATNA'
1958: 'Durga Prasad Khaitan Memorial Gold Medal' by the Royal Asiatic Society Council of Bengal
1959: Fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Meghnad Saha Biography

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Meghnad Saha Biography

Born: October 6, 1893
Died: February 16, 1956
Achievements: Made outstanding contribution to the field of Astrophysics. He put forward an "ionization formula" which explained the presence of the spectral lines.

Meghnad Saha was an outstanding Indian scientist. He made remarkable contribution to the field of Astrophysics.

Meghnad Saha was born on October 6, 1893 in Sheoratali, a village in the District of Dacca, now in Bangladesh. He was the fifth child of his parents, Sri Jagannath Saha and Smt. Bhubaneshwari Devi. His father was a grocer in the village. Meghnad Saha had his early schooling in the primary school of the village. As his family could hardly able to make both ends meet, Meghnad Saha managed to pursue his schooling only due to the generosity of a local medical practitioner, Ananta Kumar Das, who provided him with boarding and lodging in his house.

In 1905, British Government took the decision of partition of Bengal. There was great political unrest in Bengal as popular opinion was against the partition. Sir Bampfylde Fuller was governor of East Bengal at that time. One day he came to visit the Collegiate school. Meghnad Saha along with other students boycotted his visit. As a result he was suspended from the school and his scholarship was terminated. He took admission in the Kishorilal Jubili School and passed the Entrance Examination of the Calcutta University in 1909, standing first among the student from East Bengal obtaining the highest marks in languages (English, Bengali and Sanskrit combined) and in Mathematics. In 1911, he ranked third in the ISc exam while the first position went to another great scientist Satyendranath Bose.

Meghnad Saha took admission in Presidency College Calcutta. In 1913 he graduated from Presidency College with Mathematics major and got the second rank in the University of Calcutta while the first one was taken by S.N. Bose. In 1915, both S.N.Bose and Meghnad Saha ranked first in M.Sc. exam, Meghnad Saha in Applied Mathematics and S.N. Bose in Pure Mathematics.

While studying in Presidency College, Meghnad got involved with Anushilan Samiti to take part in freedom fighting movement. He also came in contact with nationalists like Subhash Chandra Bose and Rajendra Prasad.

In 1917, Meghnad Saha joined as lecturer at the newly opened University College of Science in Calcutta. He taught Quantum Physics. Along with S.N. Bose, he translated the papers published in German by Einstein and Minkowski on relativity into English versions. In 1919, American Astrophysical Journal published - "On Selective Radiation Pressure and it's application" - a research paper by Meghnad Saha. He put forward an "ionization formula" which explained the presence of the spectral lines. The formula proved to be a breakthrough in astrophysics. He went abroad and stayed for two years. He spent time in research at Imperial College, London and at a research laboratory in Germany. In 1927, Meghnad Saha was elected as a fellow of London's Royal Society.

Meghnad Saha moved to Allahabad and in 1932 Uttar Pradesh Academy of Science was established. He returned to Science College, Calcutta in 1938. During this time Saha got interested in Nuclear Physics. In 1947, he established Institute of Nuclear Physics which later was named after him as Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics. He took the first effort to include Nuclear Physics in the curriculum of higher studies of science. Having seen cyclotrons used for research in nuclear physics abroad, he ordered one to be installed in the institute. In 1950, India had its first cyclotron in operation.

In 1952 he stood as an independent candidate for Parliament and was elected by a wide margin. He died on February 16, 1956 due to a heart attack.

Jagdish Chandra Bose Biography

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Jagdish Chandra Bose Biography

Born: November 30, 1858
Died: November 23, 1937
Achievements: He was the first to prove that plants and metals too have feelings. He invented wireless telegraphy a year before Marconi patented his invention.

Jagdish Chandra Bose was an eminent Indian scientist. He was the first to prove that plants and metals too have feelings.

Jagdish Chandra Bose was born on November 30, 1858 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh). His father Bhagabanchandra Bose was a Deputy Magistrate. Jagadish Chandra Bose had his early education in village school in Bengal medium. In 1869, Jagadish Chandra Bose was sent to Calcutta to learn English and was educated at St.Xavier's School and College. He was a brilliant student. He passed the B.A. in physical sciences in 1879.

In 1880, Jagdishchandra Bose went to England. He studied medicine at London University, England, for a year but gave it up because of his own ill health. Within a year he moved to Cambridge to take up a scholarship to study Natural Science at Christ's College Cambridge. In 1885, he returned from abroad with a B.Sc. degree and Natural Science Tripos (a special course of study at Cambridge).

After his return Jagadish Chandra Bose, was offered lectureship at Presidency College, Calcutta on a salary half that of his English colleagues. He accepted the job but refused to draw his salary in protest. After three years the college ultimately conceded his demand and Jagdish Chandra Bose was paid full salary from the date he joined the college. As a teacher Jagdish Chandra Bose was very popular and engaged the interest of his students by making extensive use of scientific demonstrations. Many of his students at the Presidency College were destined to become famous in their own right. These included Satyendra Nath Bose and Meghnad Saha.

In 1894, Jagadish Chandra Bose decided to devote himself to pure research. He converted a small enclosure adjoining a bathroom in the Presidency College into a laboratory. He carried out experiments involving refraction, diffraction and polarization. It would not be wrong to call him as the inventor of wireless telegraphy. In 1895, a year before Guglielmo Marconi patented this invention, he had demonstrated its functioning in public.

Jagdish Chandra Bose later switched from physics to the study of metals and then plants. He fabricated a highly sensitive "coherer", the device that detects radio waves. He found that the sensitivity of the coherer decreased when it was used continuously for a long period and it regained its sensitivity when he gave the device some rest. He thus concluded that metals have feelings and memory.

Jagdish Chandra Bose showed experimentally plants too have life. He invented an instrument to record the pulse of plants and connected it to a plant. The plant, with its roots, was carefully picked up and dipped up to its stem in a vessel containing bromide, a poison. The plant's pulse beat, which the instrument recorded as a steady to-and-fro movement like the pendulum of a clock, began to grow unsteady. Soon, the spot vibrated violently and then came to a sudden stop. The plant had died because of poison.

Although Jagdish Chandra Bose did invaluable work in Science, his work was recognized in the country only when the Western world recognized its importance. He founded the Bose Institute at Calcutta, devoted mainly to the study of plants. Today, the Institute carries research on other fields too.

Jagdish Chandra Bose died on November 23, 1937.

Homi Bhabha Biography

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Homi Bhabha Biography

Born: October 30, 1909
Died: January 24, 1966
Achievements: Founded Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; was the first chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission; was chairman of the first United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, held in Geneva in 1955.

Homi Bhabha, whose full name was Homi Jehnagir Bhabha, was a famous Indian atomic scientist. In Independent India, Homi Jehnagir Bhabha, with the support of Jawaharlal Nehru, laid the foundation of a scientific establishment and was responsible for the creation of two premier institutions, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Homi Bhabha was the first chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission.

Homi Jehangir Bhabha was born on October 30, 1909, in Bombay in a rich Parsi family. After graduating from Elphinstone College and the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay, he went to Cambridge University. He received his doctorate in 1934. During this period he worked with Niels Bohr on the studies that led to quantum theory. Homi Jehnagir Bhabha also worked with Walter Heitler on the cascade theory of electron showers, which was of great importance for the understanding of cosmic radiation. He did significant work in identifying the meson.

Due to outbreak of Second World War, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, returned to India in 1939. He set up the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore under C. V. Raman in 1939. With the help of J.R.D. Tata, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Mumbai. In 1945, he became director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Apart from being a great scientist, Homi Bhabha, was also a skilled administrator. After independence he received the blessings of Jawaharlal Nehru for peaceful development of atomic energy. He established the Atomic Energy Commission of India in 1948. Under his guidance Indian scientists worked on the development of atomic energy, and the first atomic reactor in Asia went into operation at Trombay, near Bombay, in 1956.

Homi Bhabha was chairman of the first United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, held in Geneva in 1955. He advocated international control of nuclear energy and the outlawing of atomic bombs by all countries. He wanted nuclear energy to be used for alleviating poverty and misery of people.

Homi Bhabha received many honorary degrees from Indian and foreign universities and was a member of numerous scientific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. He also authored many articles on quantum theory and cosmic rays. Homi Bhabha died in an aeroplane crash in Switzerland on January 24, 1966.

C.V. Raman Biography

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C.V. Raman Biography

Born: November 7, 1888
Died: November 21, 1970
Achievements: He was the first Indian scholar who studied wholly in India received the Nobel Prize.

C.V. Raman is one of the most renowned scientists produced by India. His full name was Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. For his pioneering work on scattering of light, C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.

Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman was born on November 7, 1888 in Tiruchinapalli, Tamil Nadu. He was the second child of Chandrasekhar Iyer and Parvathi Amma. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics, so he had an academic atmosphere at home. He entered Presidency College, Madras, in 1902, and in 1904 passed his B.A. examination, winning the first place and the gold medal in physics. In 1907, C.V. Raman passed his M.A. obtaining the highest distinctions.

During those times there were not many opportunities for scientists in India. Therefore, Raman joined the Indian Finance Department in 1907. After his office hours, he carried out his experimental research in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at Calcutta. He carried out research in acoustics and optics.

In 1917, Raman was offered the position of Sir Taraknath Palit Professorship of Physics at Calcutta University. He stayed there for the next fifteen years. During his tenure there, he received world wide recognition for his work in optics and scattering of light. He was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1924 and the British made him a knight of the British Empire in 1929. In 1930, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded with Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on scattering of light. The discovery was later christened as "Raman Effect".

In 1934, C.V. Raman became the director of the newly established Indian Institute of Sciences in Bangalore, where two years later he continued as a professor of physics. Other investigations carried out by Raman were: his experimental and theoretical studies on the diffraction of light by acoustic waves of ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies (published 1934-1942), and those on the effects produced by X-rays on infrared vibrations in crystals exposed to ordinary light. In 1947, he was appointed as the first National Professor by the new government of Independent India. He retired from the Indian Institute in 1948 and a year later he established the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, where he worked till his death.

Sir C.V. Raman died on November 21, 1970

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Biography

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Bal Gangadhar Tilak Biography

Born: July 23, 1856
Died: August 1, 1920
Achievements: Considered as Father of Indian National Movement; Founded “Deccan Education Society” to impart quality education to India's youth; was a member of the Municipal Council of Pune, Bombay Legislature, and an elected 'Fellow' of the Bombay University; formed Home Rule League in 1916 to attain the goal of Swaraj.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak is considered as Father of Indian National Movement. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a multifaceted personality. He was a social reformer, freedom fighter, national leader, and a scholar of Indian history, sanskrit, hinduism, mathematics and astronomy. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was popularly called as Lokmanya (Beloved of the people). During freedom struggle, his slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” inspired millions of Indians.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. He was a Chitpavan Brahmin by caste. His father Gangadhar Ramachandra Tilak was a Sanskrit scholar and a famous teacher. Tilak was a brilliant student and he was very good in mathematics. Since childhood Tilak had an intolerant attitude towards injustice and he was truthful and straightforward in nature. He was among India's first generation of youth to receive a modern, college education.

When Tilak was ten his father was transferred to Pune from Ratnagiri. This brought sea change in Tilak’s life. He joined the Anglo-Vernacular School in Pune and got education from some of the well known teachers. Soon after coming to Pune Tilak lost his mother and by the time he was sixteen he lost his father too. While Tilak was studying in Matriculation he was married to a 10-year-old girl called Satyabhama. After passing the Matriculation Examination Tilak joined the Deccan College. In 1877, Bal Gangadhar Tilak got his B.A. degree with a first class in mathematics. He continued his studies and got the LL.B. degree too.

After graduation, Tilak began teaching mathematics in a private school in Pune and later became a journalist. He became a strong critic of the Western education system, feeling it demeaning to Indian students and disrespectful to India's heritage. He came to the conclusion that good citizens can be moulded only through good education. He believed that every Indian had to be taught about Indian culture and national ideals. Along with his classmate Agarkar and great social reformer Vishnushastry Chiplunkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak founded “Deccan Education Society” to impart quality education to India's youth.

The very next year after the Deccan Education Society was founded, Tilak started two weeklies, 'Kesari' and 'Mahratta'. 'Kesari' was Marathi weekly while 'Mahratta' was English weekly. Soon both the newspapers became very popular. In his newspapers, Tilak highlighted the plight of Indians. He gave a vivid picture of the people's sufferings and of actual happenings. Tilak called upon every Indian to fight for his right. Bal Gangadhar Tilak used fiery language to arouse the sleeping Indians.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He was a member of the Municipal Council of Pune, Bombay Legislature, and an elected 'Fellow' of the Bombay University. Tilak was a great social reformer. He issued a call for the banning of child marriage and welcomed widow remarriage. Through the celebrations of Ganapati Festival and the birthday of the Shivaji he organized people.

In 1897, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was charged with writing articles instigating people to rise against the government and to break the laws and disturb the peace. He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one and a half year. Tilak was released in 1898. After his release, Tilak launched Swadeshi Movement. Through newspapers and lectures, Tilak spread the message to each and every village in Maharashtra. A big 'Swadeshi Market' was opened in front of Tilak's house. Meanwhile, Congress was split into two camps-Moderates and Extremists. Extremists led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the moderate faction led by Gopal Krishna. Extremists were in the favour of self rule while the moderates thought that time is not yet ripe for such an eventuality. This rift finally led to a split in the Congress.

Tilak was arrested on the charges of sedition in 1906. After the trial, Tilak was sentenced to six years of imprisonment in Mandalay (Burma). Tilak spent his time in prison by reading and writing. He wrote the book 'Gita-Rahasya' while he was in prison. Tilak was released on June 8, 1914. After his release, Bal Gangadhar Tilak tried to bring the two factions of Congress together. But his efforts did not bear much fruit. In 1916, Tilak decided to build a separate organization called the 'Home Rule League'. Its goal was swaraj. Tilak went from village to village, and explained the aim of his league to the farmers and won their hearts. He traveled constantly in order to organize the people. While fighting for people’s cause Bal Gangadhar Tilak died on August 1, 1920.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh

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Shaheed Bhagat Singh

Born: September 27, 1907
Died: March 23, 1931
Achievements: Gave a new direction to revolutionary terrorist movement in India, formed 'Naujavan Bharat Sabha' to spread the message of revolution in Punjab, formed 'Hindustan Samajvadi Prajatantra Sangha' along with Chandrasekhar Azad to establish a republic in India, Killed police official Sanders to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, dropped bomb in Central Legislative Assembly along with Batukeshwar Dutt.

Bhagat Singh was one of the most prominent faces of Indian freedom struggle. He was a revolutionary ahead of his times. By Revolution he meant that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice must change. Bhagat Singh studied the European revolutionary movement and was greatly attracted towards socialism. He realised that the overthrow of British rule should be accompanied by the socialist reconstruction of Indian society and for this political power must be seized by the workers.

Though portrayed as a terrorist, Sardar Bhagat Singh was critical of the individual terrorism which was prevalent among the revolutionary youth of his time and called for mass mobilization. Bhagat Singh gave a new direction to the revolutionary terrorist tradition in India. He differed from his predecessors on two counts. Firstly, he accepted the logic of atheism and publicly proclaimed it. Secondly, until then revolutionaries had no conception of post-independence society. Their immediate goal was destruction of the British Empire and they had no inclination to work out a political alternative. Bhagat Singh, because of his interest in studying and his keen sense of history gave revolutionary movement a goal beyond the elimination of the British. A clarity of vision and determination of purpose distinguished Bhagat Singh from other leaders of the National Movement. He emerged as the only alternative to Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, especially for the youth.

Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh family in village Banga in Layalpur district of Punjab (now in Pakistan). He was the third son of Sardar Kishan Singh and Vidyavati. Bhagat Singh's family was actively involved in freedom struggle. His father Kishan Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of Ghadr Party founded in the U.S to oust British rule from India. Family atmosphere had a great effect on the mind of young Bhagat Singh and patriotism flowed in his veins from childhood.

While studying at the local D.A.V. School in Lahore, in 1916, young Bhagat Singh came into contact with some well-known political leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Ras Bihari Bose. Punjab was politically very charged in those days. In 1919, when Jalianwala Bagh massacre took place, Bhagat Singh was only 12 years old. The massacre deeply disturbed him. On the next day of massacre Bhagat Singh went to Jalianwala Bagh and collected soil from the spot and kept it as a memento for the rest of his life. The massacre strengthened his resolve to drive British out from India.

In response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for non-cooperation against British rule in 1921, Bhagat Singh left his school and actively participated in the movement. In 1922, when Mahatma Gandhi suspended Non-cooperation movement against violence at Chauri-chaura in Gorakhpur, Bhagat was greatly disappointed. His faith in non violence weakened and he came to the conclusion that armed revolution was the only practical way of winning freedom. To continue his studies, Bhagat Singh joined the National College in Lahore, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai. At this college, which was a centre of revolutionary activities, he came into contact with revolutionaries such as Bhagwati Charan, Sukhdev and others.

To avoid early marriage, Bhagat Singh ran away from home and went to Kanpur. Here, he came into contact with a revolutionary by the name, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, and learnt his first lessons as revolutionary. On hearing that his grandmother was ill, Bhagat Singh returned home. He continued his revolutionary activities from his village. He went to Lahore and formed a union of revolutionaries by name 'Naujavan Bharat Sabha'. He started spreading the message of revolution in Punjab. In 1928 he attended a meeting of revolutionaries in Delhi and came into contact with Chandrasekhar Azad. The two formed 'Hindustan Samajvadi Prajatantra Sangha'. Its aim was to establish a republic in India by means of an armed revolution.

In February 1928, a committee from England, called Simon Commission visited India. The purpose of its visit was to decide how much freedom and responsibility could be given to the people of India. But there was no Indian on the committee. This angered Indians and they decided to boycott Simon Commission. While protesting against Simon Commission in Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally Lathicharged and later on succumbed to injuries. Bhagat Singh determined to avenge Lajpat Rai's death by shooting the British official responsible for the killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. He shot down Assistant Superintendent Saunders instead, mistaking him for Scott. Bhagat Singh had to flee from Lahore to escape death punishment.

Instead of finding the root cause of discontent of Indians, the British government took to more repressive measures. Under the Defense of India Act, it gave more power to the police to arrest persons to stop processions with suspicious movements and actions. The Act brought in the Central Legislative Assembly was defeated by one vote. Even then it was to be passed in the form of an ordinance in the "interest of the public." Bhagat Singh who was in hiding all this while, volunteered to throw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly where the meeting to pass the ordinance was being held. It was a carefully laid out plot, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no more be tolerated. It was decided that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt would court arrest after throwing the bomb.

On April 8, 1929 Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in the Central Assembly Hall while the Assembly was in session. The bombs did not hurt anyone. After throwing the bombs, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt, deliberately courted arrest by refusing to run away from the scene. Meanwhile the killers of Sanders were identified by the treachery of Bhagat Singh's friends who became "Approvers". During his trial, Bhagat Singh refused to employ any defence counsel. In jail, he went on hunger strike to protest the inhuman treatment of fellow-political prisoners by jail authorities. On October 7, 1930 Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded death sentence by a special tribunal for terrorist activities. Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his associates were hanged in the early hours of March 23, 1931.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Biography

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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Biography

Born: April 14, 1891
Died: December 6, 1956
Achievements: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was elected as the chairman of the drafting committee that was constituted by the Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution for the independent India; he was the first Law Minister of India; conferred Bharat Ratna in 1990.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is viewed as messiah of dalits and downtrodden in India. He was the chairman of the drafting committee that was constituted by the Constituent Assembly in 1947 to draft a constitution for the independent India. He played a seminal role in the framing of the constitution. Bhimrao Ambedkar was also the first Law Minister of India. For his yeoman service to the nation, B.R. Ambedkar was bestowed with Bharat Ratna in 1990.

Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 in Mhow (presently in Madhya Pradesh). He was the fourteenth child of Ramji and Bhimabai Sakpal Ambavedkar. B.R. Ambedkar belonged to the "untouchable" Mahar Caste. His father and grandfather served in the British Army. In those days, the government ensured that all the army personnel and their children were educated and ran special schools for this purpose. This ensured good education for Bhimrao Ambedkar, which would have otherwise been denied to him by the virtue of his caste.

Bhimrao Ambedkar experienced caste discrimination right from the childhood. After his retirement, Bhimrao's father settled in Satara Maharashtra. Bhimrao was enrolled in the local school. Here, he had to sit on the floor in one corner in the classroom and teachers would not touch his notebooks. In spite of these hardships, Bhimrao continued his studies and passed his Matriculation examination from Bombay University with flying colours in 1908. Bhim Rao Ambedkar joined the Elphinstone College for further education. In 1912, he graduated in Political Science and Economics from Bombay University and got a job in Baroda.

In 1913, Bhimrao Ambedkar lost his father. In the same year Maharaja of Baroda awarded scholarship to Bhim Rao Ambedkar and sent him to America for further studies. Bhimrao reached New York in July 1913. For the first time in his life, Bhim Rao was not demeaned for being a Mahar. He immersed himself in the studies and attained a degree in Master of Arts and a Doctorate in Philosophy from Columbia University in 1916 for his thesis "National Dividend for India: A Historical and Analytical Study." From America, Dr.Ambedkar proceeded to London to study economics and political science. But the Baroda government terminated his scholarship and recalled him back.

The Maharaja of Baroda appointed Dr. Ambedkar as his political secretary. But no one would take orders from him because he was a Mahar. Bhimrao Ambedkar returned to Bombay in November 1917. With the help of Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, a sympathizer of the cause for the upliftment of the depressed classes, he started a fortnightly newspaper, the "Mooknayak" (Dumb Hero) on January 31, 1920. The Maharaja also convened many meetings and conferences of the "untouchables" which Bhimrao addressed. In September 1920, after accumulating sufficient funds, Ambedkar went back to London to complete his studies. He became a barrister and got a Doctorate in science.

After completing his studies in London, Ambedkar returned to India. In July 1924, he founded the Bahishkrit Hitkaraini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association). The aim of the Sabha was to uplift the downtrodden socially and politically and bring them to the level of the others in the Indian society. In 1927, he led the Mahad March at the Chowdar Tank at Colaba, near Bombay, to give the untouchables the right to draw water from the public tank where he burnt copies of the 'Manusmriti' publicly.

In 1929, Ambedkar made the controversial decision to co-operate with the all-British Simon Commission which was to look into setting up a responsible Indian Government in India. The Congress decided to boycott the Commission and drafted its own version of a constitution for free India. The Congress version had no provisions for the depressed classes. Ambedkar became more skeptical of the Congress's commitment to safeguard the rights of the depressed classes.

When a separate electorate was announced for the depressed classes under Ramsay McDonald 'Communal Award', Gandhiji went on a fast unto death against this decision. Leaders rushed to Dr. Ambedkar to drop his demand. On September 24, 1932, Dr. Ambedkar and Gandhiji reached an understanding, which became the famous Poona Pact. According to the pact the separate electorate demand was replaced with special concessions like reserved seats in the regional legislative assemblies and Central Council of States.

Dr. Ambedkar attended all the three Round Table Conferences in London and forcefully argued for the welfare of the "untouchables". Meanwhile, British Government decided to hold provincial elections in 1937. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar set up the "Independent Labor Party" in August 1936 to contest the elections in the Bombay province. He and many candidates of his party were elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly.

In 1937, Dr. Ambedkar introduced a Bill to abolish the "khoti" system of land tenure in the Konkan region, the serfdom of agricultural tenants and the Mahar "watan" system of working for the Government as slaves. A clause of an agrarian bill referred to the depressed classes as "Harijans," or people of God. Bhimrao was strongly opposed to this title for the untouchables. He argued that if the "untouchables" were people of God then all others would be people of monsters. He was against any such reference. But the Indian National Congress succeeded in introducing the term Harijan. Ambedkar felt bitter that they could not have any say in what they were called.

In 1947, when India became independent, the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who had been elected as a Member of the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, to join his Cabinet as a Law Minister. The Constituent Assembly entrusted the job of drafting the Constitution to a committee and Dr. Ambedkar was elected as Chairman of this Drafting Committee. In February 1948, Dr. Ambedkar presented the Draft Constitution before the people of India; it was adopted on November 26, 1949.

In October 1948, Dr. Ambedkar submitted the Hindu Code Bill to the Constituent Assembly in an attempt to codify the Hindu law. The Bill caused great divisions even in the Congress party. Consideration for the bill was postponed to September 1951. When the Bill was taken up it was truncated. A dejected Ambedkar relinquished his position as Law Minister.

On May 24, 1956, on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, he declared in Bombay, that he would adopt Buddhism in October. On 0ctober 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. On December 6, 1956, Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar died peacefully in his sleep.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale Biography

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Gopal Krishna Gokhale Biography

Born: May 9, 1866
Died: February 19, 1915
Achievements: Political guru of Mahatma Gandhi; one of the pioneers of the Indian national movement; founder of the Servants of India Society.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was one of the pioneers of the Indian national movement. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. Gokhale gave voice to the aspirations of millions of Indians who were looking for freedom from the British rule. Gandhiji considered him as his political guru. Apart from being a political leader, Gopalkrishna Gokhale, was also a social reformer. He founded the "Servants of India Society"-an organization dedicated to the cause of common people. Gopal Krishna Gokhale's contribution to the making of Indian nation is invaluable.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on May 9, 1866 in Kothapur, Maharashtra. His father Krishna Rao was a farmer who was forced to work as clerk, as the soil of the region was not conducive for agriculture. His mother Valubai was a simple woman. Gokhale received his early education at the Rajaram High School in Kothapur with the help of financial assistance from his elder brother. Later on he moved on to Bombay and graduated from Elphinstone College, Bombay in 1884 at the age of 18.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was one of the first generations of Indians to receive college education. He was respected widely in the nascent Indian intellectual community and across India. Education influenced Gokhale greatly. His understanding of the English language allowed him to express himself without hesitation and with utmost clarity. His appreciation and knowledge of history instilled in him a respect for liberty, democracy, and the parliamentary system. After graduation, he moved on to teaching, and took a position as an Assistant Master in the New English School in Pune. In 1885, Gokhale moved on to Pune and became one of the founding members of Fergusson College, along with his colleagues in Deccan Education Society. Gopal Krishna Gokhale gave nearly two decades of his life to Fergusson College and rose to become principal of the college. During this time, Gokhale came in contact with Mahadev Govind Ranade. Ranade was a judge, scholar, and social reformer, whom Gokhale called his guru. Gokhale worked with Ranade in Poona Sarvajanik Sabha of which Gokhale became the Secretary.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale entered public life in 1886 at the age of 20. He delivered a public address on "India under the British Rule", which was highly appreciated. Gokhale regularly contributed articles to Bal Gangadhar Tilak's weekly "Mahratta". Through his articles he tried to awaken the latent patriotism of Indian people. Soon, Gokhale was promoted as Secretary of the Deccan Education Society. When the Indian National Congress held its session in Poona in 1895, he was the secretary of the Reception Committee. From this session, Gokhale became a prominent member of the Indian National Congress. Gokhale was twice elected as president of Pune Municipality. For a while Gokhale was also a member of the Bombay Legislative Council where he spoke strongly against the then Government.

In 1902, Gokhale left the Fergusson College. He became a Member of the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi. There he spoke for the people of the country in an able manner. Gokhale had an excellent grasp of the economic problems of our country which he ably presented during the debates. In 1905, Gokhale started a new society called "Servants of India Society". This society trained workers for the service of the country. In the same year, Gokhale went to England to voice his concerns relating to the unfair treatment of the Indian people by the British government. In a span of 49 days, he spoke in front of 47 different audiences, captivating every one of them. Gokhale pleaded for gradual reforms to ultimately attain Swaraj, or self-government, in India. He was instrumental in the introduction of the Morley- Minto Reforms of 1909, which eventually became law. Though the reforms sowed the seeds of communal division in India, nevertheless, they gave Indian access to the seats of the highest authority within the government, and their voices were more audible in matters of public interest.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a diabetic and asthmatic. Excessive assertion took its toll on Gokhale's health and ultimately he died on February 19, 1915.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

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Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

The sister of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, she was the first woman to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly. Well, we are talking about the well known diplomat Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit. She was an Indian envoy, who was born in the year 1900. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Vijayalakshmi Pandit, who was instrumental in the politics of the country.

In the year 1921, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit married Ranjit Sitaram Pandit. She was the first woman to hold a prestigious position in the cabinet. In the year 1937, she was elected to the provincial legislature of the United Provinces and she became the minister of the local self governing body. She held this position for two consecutive years. Later, in the year 1946, she was reelected for this position. Read on to know the complete life history of Vijayalaxmi Nehru Pandit.

In the post independence period, she made an entry into the diplomatic services and served as the ambassador of India to various countries like Soviet Union, Ireland, United States and Mexico. From 1962 to 1964, she served as the governor of Maharashtra. Thereafter, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Phulpur, which was the former constituency of her brother. She held the post for four years till 1968. Vijayalakshmi Pandit was critical about her niece, Indira Gandhi. Infact, their relations were not very good.

When Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister in the year 1966, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit took retirement from active politics. After taking voluntary retirement, she went to the peaceful Dehradun city. In the year 1979, she was chosen as the representative of India to the UN Human Rights Commission. Thereafter, she went far away from public life. She had an interest in writing. Her writings consist of The Evolution of India (1958) and The Scope of Happiness: A Personal Memoir (1979). Infact, her daughter named Nayantara Sahgal, is a wonderful novelist. Vijaylakshmi Pandit died in the year 1990.

Kasturba Gandhi

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Kasturba Gandhi

Kasturba Gandhi was born to a prosperous businessman Gokuladas Makharji of Porbandar on April 11, 1869. She got married to Mohandas Gandhi, when she was just thirteen years old. At the time of her marriage, Kasturba was an absolute illiterate. Gandhi taught her how to read and write. When her husband left for London for pursuing further studies, she remained in India for upbringing their newly born son Harilal. The couple had three more sons. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Kasturba Gandhi.

In the year 1906, Mohandas Gandhi made up his mind to practice Brahmacharya. Like a good wife, Kasturba always stood by the side of her husband, even if she didn't approve of some of his ideas. Kasturba was very religious minded. She broke the barriers that created caste distinction and lived in ashrams. She always supported her husband in the political protests. She went along with her husband to South Africa in the year 1897. To know the complete life history of Kasturba Gandhi, read on.

From the period between 1904 and 1914, she was actively involved in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. In the year 1913, she raised her voice against the inhuman working conditions of Indians in South Africa. Infact, she was imprisoned for three months and that too in the jail, where the prisoners were made to do hard labor. In 1915, she accompanied her husband and supported the Indigo planters. There, she taught women and children about basic concepts like personal hygiene, discipline etc.

Kasturba Gandhi suffered from the problem of chronic Bronchitis. To top it, the stress level caused during the Quit India Movement's arrests aggravated her illness. Her health began to decline. The situation got worse, when she got victimized by pneumonia. Her husband disagreed with her idea to go in for penicillin. On February 22, 1944, she had a major heart attack and she died.

Veer Savarkar Biography

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Veer Savarkar

Born: May 28, 1883
Died: February 26, 1966
Achievements: Founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society; brought out an authentic informative researched work on The Great Indian Revolt of 1857 called "The Indian War of Independence 1857"; founded Hindu Mahasabha.

Veer Savarkar occupies a unique place in the history of Indian freedom struggle. His name evokes controversy. While some consider him as one of the greatest revolutionaries in the Indian freedom struggle, others consider him a communalist and Machiavellian manipulator. Vir Savarkar was also a great orator, prolific writer, historian, poet, philosopher and social worker. He was an extraordinary Hindu scholar. He coined Indian words for telephone, photography, the parliament, among others.

Veer Savarkar’s original name was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He was born on May 28, 1883 in the village of Bhagur near Nasik. He was one among four children born to Damodarpant Savarkar and Radhabai. Veer Savarkar had his initial education at the Shivaji School, Nasik. He lost his mother when he was only nine. Savarkar was a born rebel. He organized a gang of kids ,Vanarsena when he was just eleven.

During his high school days, Veer Savarkar used to organize Shivaji Utsav and Ganesh Utsav, started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak (whom Savarkar considered as his Guru) and used these occasions to put up plays on nationalistic themes. Savarkar lost his father during the plague of 1899. In March 1901, he married Yamunabai. Post marriage, in 1902, Veer Savarkar joined Fergusson College in Pune.

In Pune, Savarkar founded the “Abhinav Bharat Society”. He was also involved in the Swadeshi movement and later joined Tilak’s Swaraj Party. His instigating patriotic speeches and activities incensed the British Government. As a result the British Government withdrew his B.A. degree.

In June 1906, Veer Savarkar, left for London to become Barrister. However, once in London, he united and inflamed the Indian students in England against British rule in India. He founded the Free India Society. The Society celebrated important dates on the Indian calendar including festivals, freedom movement landmarks, and was dedicated to furthering discussion about Indian freedom. He believed and advocated the use of arms to free India from the British and created a network of Indians in England, equipped with weapons.

In 1908, brought out an authentic informative researched work on The Great Indian Revolt, which the British termed as "Sepoy Mutiny" of 1857. The book was called "The Indian War of Independence 1857". The British government immediately enforced a ban on the publication in both Britain and India. Later, it was published by Madame Bhikaiji Cama in Holland, and was smuggled into India to reach revolutionaries working across the country against British rule.

In 1909, Madanlal Dhingra, a keen follower of Savarkar shot Sir Wyllie after a failed assassination attempt on the then Viceroy, Lord Curzon. Savarkar conspicuously did not condemn the act. When the then British Collector of Nasik, A.M.T. Jackson was shot by a youth, Veer Savarkar finally fell under the net of the British authorities. He was implicated in the murder citing his connections with India House. Savarkar was arrested in London on March 13, 1910 and sent to India.

After a formal trial, Savarkar was charged with serious offences of illegal transportation of weapons, provocative speeches and sedition and was sentenced to 50 years' of jail and deported to the Kalapani (Blackwaters) at Andaman cellular jail.

In 1920, many prominent freedom fighters including Vithalbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak demanded the release of Savarkar. On May 2, 1921, Savarkar was moved to Ratnagiri jail, and from there to the Yeravada jail. In Ratnagiri jail Savarkar wrote the book 'Hindutva'. On January 6, 1924 he was h freed under the condition that he would not leave Ratnagiri district and abstain from political activity for the next five years. On his release, Veer Savarkar founded the Ratnagiri Hindu Sabha on January 23, 1924 that aimed to preserve India's ancient culture and work for social welfare.

Later Savarkar joined Tilak's Swaraj Party and founded the Hindu Mahasabha as a separate political party. He was elected President of the Mahasabha and toiled for building Hindu Nationalism and later joined the Quit India movement.

The Hindu Mahasabha opposed creation of Pakistan, and took exception to Gandhi's continued Muslim appeasement stances. Nathuram Godse, a volunteer of the Hindu Mahasabha, assassinated Gandhi in 1948 and upheld his actions till his hanging. Veer Savarkar was arrested and indicted by the Government of India in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case. But he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of India, for reasons of lack of evidence.

Veer Savarkar died on February 26, 1966 at the age of 83.

Subhas Chandra Bose

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Born: January 23, 1897
Died: August 18, 1945
Achievements: Passed Indian Civil Services Exam; elected Congress President in 1938 and 1939; formed a new party All India Forward block; organized Azad Hind Fauj to overthrow British Empire from India.

Subhas Chandra Bose, affectionately called as Netaji, was one of the most prominent leaders of Indian freedom struggle. Though Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru have garnered much of the credit for successful culmination of Indian freedom struggle, the contribution of Subash Chandra Bose is no less. He has been denied his rightful place in the annals of Indian history. He founded Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to overthrow British Empire from India and came to acquire legendary status among Indian masses.

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. His father Janaki Nath Bose was a famous lawyer and his mother Prabhavati Devi was a pious and religious lady. Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth child among fourteen siblings. Subhas Chandra Bose was a brilliant student right from the childhood. He topped the matriculation examination of Calcutta province and graduated with a First Class in Philosophy from the Scottish Churches College in Calcutta. He was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. To fulfill his parents wishes he went to England in 1919 to compete for Indian Civil Services. In England he appeared for the Indian Civil Service competitive examination in 1920, and came out fourth in order of merit. However, Subhas Chandra Bose was deeply disturbed by the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, and left his Civil Services apprenticeship midway to return to India in 1921

After returning to India Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Indian National Congress. On Gandhiji's instructions, he started working under Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, whom he later acknowledged his political guru. Soon he showed his leadership mettle and gained his way up in the Congress' hierarchy. In 1928 the Motilal Nehru Committee appointed by the Congress declared in favour of Domination Status, but Subhas Chandra Bose along with Jawaharlal Nehru opposed it, and both asserted that they would be satisfied with nothing short of complete independence for India. Subhas also announced the formation of the Independence League. Subhas Chandra Bose was jailed during Civil Disobedience movement in 1930. He was released in 1931 after Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed. He protested against the Gandhi-Irwin pact and opposed the suspension of Civil Disobedience movement specially when Bhagat Singh and his associates were hanged.

Subash Chandra Bose was soon arrested again under the infamous Bengal Regulation. After an year he was released on medical grounds and was banished from India to Europe. He took steps to establish centres in different European capitals with a view to promoting politico-cultural contacts between India and Europe. Defying the ban on his entry to India, Subash Chandra Bose returned to India and was again arrested and jailed for a year. After the General Elections of 1937, Congress came to power in seven states and Subash Chandra Bose was released. Shortly afterwards he was elected President of the Haripura Congress Session in 1938. During his term as Congress President, he talked of planning in concrete terms, and set up a National planning Committee in October that year. At the end of his first term, the presidential election to the Tripuri Congress session took place early 1939. Subhas Chandra Bose was re-elected, defeating Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya who had been backed by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Working Committee. Clouds of World War II were on the horizon and he brought a resolution to give the British six months to hand India over to the Indians, failing which there would be a revolt. There was much opposition to his rigid stand, and he resigned from the post of president and formed a progressive group known as the Forward Block.

Subhas Chandra Bose now started a mass movement against utilizing Indian resources and men for the great war. There was a tremendous response to his call and he was put under house arrest in Calcutta. In January 1941, Subhas Chandra Bose disappeared from his home in Calcutta and reached Germany via Afghanistan. Working on the maxim that "an enemy's enemy is a friend", he sought cooperation of Germany and Japan against British Empire. In January 1942, he began his regular broadcasts from Radio Berlin, which aroused tremendous enthusiasm in India. In July 1943, he arrived in Singapore from Germany. In Singapore he took over the reins of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia from Rash Behari Bose and organised the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) comprising mainly of Indian prisoners of war. He was hailed as Netaji by the Army as well as by the Indian civilian population in East Asia. Azad Hind Fauj proceeded towards India to liberate it from British rule. Enroute it lliberated Andeman and Nicobar Islands. The I.N.A. Head quarters was shifted to Rangoon in January 1944. Azad Hind Fauj crossed the Burma Border, and stood on Indian soil on March 18 ,1944.

However, defeat of Japan and Germany in the Second World War forced INA to retreat and it could not achieve its objective. Subhas Chandra Bose was reportedly killed in an air crash over Taipeh, Taiwan (Formosa) on August 18, 1945. Though it is widely believed that he was still alive after the air crash not much information could be found about him.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

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Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Born: September 5, 1888
Died: April 17, 1975
Achievements: First Vice President and second President of India. Placed Indian philosophy on world map.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was first Vice President of India and second President of India. He was also a philosopher and introduced the thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought. He was a famous teacher and his birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tirutani, Madras in a poor Brahmin family. As his father was poor Radhakrishnan supported most of his education through scholarships. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had his early education at Gowdie School, Tiruvallur and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school. He joined the Voorhee's College in Vellore and later switched to the Madras Christian College. He chose Philosophy as his major subject and did his B.A. and M.A. in it.

After completing his M.A., Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, accepted an Assistant Lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In college, he mastered the classics of Hindu philosophy, namely the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahmasutra, and commentaries of Sankara, Ramunuja and Madhava. He also acquainted himself with Buddhist and Jain philosophy and philosophies of Western thinkers such as Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Bradley, and Bergson.

In 1918, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore. In 1921, Radhakrishnan was nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the Calcutta University, 1921. In 1923, Dr. Radhakrishnan's book "Indian Philosophy" was published. The book was hailed as a "philosophical classic and a literary masterpiece."

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was called to Oxford University, to deliver lectures on Hindu philosophy. He used his lectures as a platform to further India's cause for freedom. He also argued that Western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. He showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by Western standards. He thus placed Indian Philosophy on world map.

In 1931, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected Vice Chancellor of the Andhra University. In 1939, Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University. In 1946, he was appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO. After Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan was requested to Chair the University Education Commission in 1948. The Radhakrishnan Committee's suggestions helped mould the education system for India's needs.

In 1949, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union. He helped laid the foundation for a strong relationship with Soviet Union. Radhakrishnan was elected first Vice-President of India in 1952. He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954. After serving two terms as Vice-President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected President of India in 1962. During his tenure as President India fought wars with China and Pakistan. As President he helped see India through those trying years safely. He retired as President in 1967 and settled in Madras.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died on April 17, 1975.

Sarojini Naidu Biography

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Sarojini Naidu Biography

Born: February 13, 1879
Died: March 2, 1949
Achievements: She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.

Sarojini Naidu was a distinguished poet, renowned freedom fighter and one of the great orators of her time. She was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of India). Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.

Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879. Her father Aghoranath Chattopadhyaya was a scientist and philosopher. He was the founder of the Nizam College, Hyderabad. Sarojini Naidu's mother Barada Sundari Devi was a poetess and used to write poetry in Bengali. Sarojini Naidu was the eldest among the eight siblings. One of her brothers Birendranath was a revolutionary and her other brother Harindranath was a poet, dramatist, and actor.

Sarojini Naidu was a brilliant student. She was proficient in Urdu, Telugu, English, Bengali, and Persian. At the age of twelve, Sarojini Naidu attained national fame when she topped the matriculation examination at Madras University. Her father wanted her to become a mathematician or scientist but Sarojini Naidu was interested in poetry. She started writing poems in English. Impressed by her poetry, Nizam of Hyderabad, gave her scholarship to study abroad. At the age of 16, she traveled to England to study first at King's College London and later at Girton College, Cambridge. There she met famous laureates of her time such as Arthur Simon and Edmond Gausse. It was Gausse who convinced Sarojini to stick to Indian themes-India's great mountains, rivers, temples, social milieu, to express her poetry. She depicted contemporary Indian life and events. Her collections "The golden threshold (1905)", "The bird of time (1912)", and "The broken wing (1912)" attracted huge Indian and English readership.

At the age of 15, she met Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu and fell in love with him. a non-brahmin, and a doctor by profession. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she married him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. It was a revolutionary step but Sarojini's father fully supported her in her endeavour. Sarojini Naidu had a happy married life and had four children: Jayasurya, Padmaj, Randheer, and Leilamani.

Sarojini Naidu joined the Indian national movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. She came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, C.P.Rama Swami Iyer, Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. She awakened the women of India. She brought them out of the kitchen. She traveled from state to state, city after city and asked for the rights of the women. She re-established self-esteem within the women of India.

In 1925, Sarojini Naidu presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Kanpur. Sarojini Naidu played a leading role during the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed along with Gandhiji and other leaders. In 1942, Sarojini Naidu was arrested during the "Quit India" movement and was jailed for 21 months with Gandhiji. She shared a very warm relationship with Gandhiji and used to call him "Mickey Mouse".

After Independence, Sarojini Naidu became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She was India's first woman governor. Sarojini Naidu died in office on March 2 ,1949.

Sardar Patel Biography

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Sardar Patel Biography

Born: October 31, 1875
Died: December 15, 1950
Achievements: Successfully led Kheda Satyagraha and Bardoli revolt against British government; elected Ahmedabad's municipal president in 1922, 1924 and 1927; elected Congress President in 1931; was independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister; played a key role in political integration of India; conferred Bharat Ratna in 1991.

Sardar Patel was popularly known as Iron Man of India. His full name was Vallabhbhai Patel. He played a leading role in the Indian freedom struggle and became the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. He is credited with achieving political integration of India.

Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. His father Jhaverbhai was a farmer and mother Laad Bai was a simple lady. Sardar Vallabhai's early education took place in Karamsad. Then he joined a school in Petlad. After two years he joined a high school in a town called Nadiad. He passed his high school examination in 1896. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a brilliant student throughout his schooling.

Vallabhbhai wanted to become a barrister. To realize this ambition he had to go to England. But he did not have the financial means to even join a college India. In those days a candidate could study in private and sit for an examination in Law. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel borrowed books from a lawyer of his acquaintance and studied at home. Occasionally he attended courts of law and listened attentively to the arguments of lawyer. Vallabhbhai passed the Law examination with flying colours.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel started his Law practice in Godhra. Soon his practice flourished. He got married to Jhaberaba. In 1904, he got a baby daughter Maniben, and in 1905 his son Dahyabhai was born. Vallabhbhai sent his elder brother Vitthalbhai, who himself was a lawyer, to England for higher studies in Law. Patel was only thirty-three years old when his wife died. He did not wish to marry again. After his brother's return, Vallabhbhai went to England. He studied with single-minded devotion and stood first in the Barrister-at-Law Examination.

Sardar Patel returned to India in 1913 and started his practice in Ahmedabad. Soon he became popular. At the urging of his friends, Patel contested and won elections to become the sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad in 1917. Sardar Patel was deeply impressed by Gandhiji's success in Champaran Satyagraha. In 1918, there was a drought in the Kheda division of Gujarat. Peasants asked for relief from the high rate of taxes but the British government refused. Gandhiji took up peasants cause but could not devote his full time in Kheda. He was looking for someone who could lead the struggle in his absence. At this point Sardar Patel volunteered to come forward and lead the struggle. He gave up his lucrative legal practice and entered public life.

Vallabhbhai successfully led peasants revolt in Kheda and the revolt ended in 1919 when the British government agreed to suspend collection of revenue and roll back the rates. Kheda Satyagraha turned Vallabhbhai Patel into a national hero. Vallabhbhai supported Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, and as president of the Gujarat Congress, helped in organizing bonfires of British goods in Ahmedabad. He gave up his English clothes and started wearing Khadi. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was elected Ahmedabad's municipal president in 1922, 1924 and 1927. During his terms, Ahmedabad was extended a major supply of electricity and underwent major education reforms. Drainage and sanitation systems were extended over all the city.

In 1928, Bardoli Taluka in Gujarat suffered from floods and famine. In this hour of distress the British government raised the revenue taxes by thirty percent. Sardar Patel took up cudgels on behalf of the farmers and appealed to the Governor to reduce the taxes. The Governor refused and the government even announced the date of the collection of the taxes. Sardar Patel organized the farmers and told them not to pay even a single pie of tax. The government tried to repress the revolt but ultimately bowed before Vallabhbhai Patel. It was during the struggle and after the victory in Bardoli that caused intense excitement across India, that Patel was increasingly addressed by his colleagues and followers as Sardar.

Sardar Patel was imprisoned during Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. After the signing of Gandhi-Irwin pact in 1931, Sardar Patel was released and he was elected Congress president for its 1931 session in Karachi. Upon the failure of the Round Table Conference in London, Gandhiji and Sardar Patel were arrested in January 1932 and imprisoned in the Yeravada Central Jail. During this term of imprisonment, Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi grew close to one another, and the two developed a close bond of affection, trust, and frankness without reserve. Sardar Patel was finally released in July 1934.

In August 1942, the Congress launched the Quit India Movement. The government jailed all the important leaders of the Congress, including Vallabhai Patel. All the leaders were released after three years. After achieving independence on 15th of August 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India and Sardar Patel became the Deputy Prime Minister. He was in charge of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of States.

There were 565 princely states in India at that time. Some of the Maharajas and Nawabs who ruled over these were sensible and patriotic. But most of them were drunk with wealth and power. They were dreaming of becoming independent rulers once the British quit India. They argued that the government of free India should treat them as equals. Some of them went to the extent of planning to send their representatives to the United Nations Organization. Patel invoked the patriotism of India's monarchs, asking them to join in the freedom of their nation and act as responsible rulers who cared about the future of their people. He persuaded the princes of 565 states of the impossibility of independence from the Indian republic, especially in the presence of growing opposition from their subjects. With great wisdom and political foresight, he consolidated the small kingdoms. The public was with him. He tackled the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Junagarh who initially did not want to join India. Sardar Patel's untiring efforts towards the unity of the country brought success. He united a scattered nation without much bloodshed. Due to the achievement of this massive task, Sardar Patel got the title of 'Iron Man'. Sardar Patel died of cardiac arrest on December 15, 1950. For his services to the nation Sardar Patel was conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1991.

Rajiv Gandhi Biography

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Rajiv Gandhi Biography

Born: August 20, 1944
Died: May 21, 1991
Achievements: Became Prime Minister of India at the age of 40. Led Congress to its greatest victory in the Lok Sabha elections, winning about 80 per cent of seats. Played a key role in the introduction of computers in India.

Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India. He became Prime Minister at the age of 40. Rajiv Gandhi came from a family that had great political lineage. He was the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. Her mother Indira Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru were Prime Ministers of India. As a Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made a valuable contribution in modernizing Indian administration. He had the vision and foresight to see that information technology will play a key role in the 21 century and worked actively to develop India's capacity in this realm.

Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944 in Bombay (Mumbai) in India's most famous political family. His grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru played a stellar role in India's freedom struggle and became independent India's first Prime Minister. His parents lived separately and Rajiv Gandhi was raised at his grandfather's home where her mother lived. Rajeev Gandhi did his schooling from the elite Doon school and then studied at the University of London and at Trinity College, Cambridge in Britain. At Cambridge, Rajiv Ghandi met and fell in love with an Italian student Sonia Maino and they got married in 1969.

Returning to India, Rajeev Ghandi became a commercial airline pilot. His younger brother Sanjay Gandhi entered politics and became a trusted lieutenant of her mother Indira Gandhi. After Sanjay's death in a plane crash in 1980, Rajiv reluctantly entered politics at the instance of his mother. He won his first Lok Sabha election in 1981 from Amethi-the erstwhile constituency of his brother. Soon he became the General Secretary of the Congress Party. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi in October 1984 he became the Prime Minister of India at the age of 40. He called for general elections in 1984 and riding on a massive sympathy wave led Congress to a thumping victory. Congress garnered 80 percent of the seats in the lower house and achieved its greatest victory since independence.

In his initial days as Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was immensely popular. During his tenure as Prime Minister of India, he brought a certain dynamism to the premiership, which had always been occupied by older people. He is credited with promoting the introduction of computers in India. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi began leading in a direction significantly different from Indira Gandhi's socialism. He improved bilateral relations with the United States and expanded economic and scientific cooperation. He increased government support for science and technology and associated industries, and reduced import quotas, taxes and tariffs on technology-based industries, especially computers, airlines, defence and telecommunications. He worked towards reducing the red tape in the governance and freeing administration from bureaucratic tangles. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi announced a national education policy to modernize and expand higher education programs across India.

Rajiv Gandhi authorised an extensive police and army campaign against the militants in Punjab. Rajiv's government suffered a major setback when its efforts to broker peace between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE rebels backfired. As per the peace accords signed in 1987, the LTTE would disarm to the Indian Peace Keeping Force which was sent to Sri Lanka. But distrust and a few incidents of conflict broke out into open fighting between the LTTE militants and Indian soldiers. Over a thousand Indian soldiers were killed, and at last Rajiv Gandhi had to pull out Indian forces from Sri Lanka. It was a failure of Rajiv's diplomacy.

Although Rajeev Gandhi promised to end corruption, he and his party were themselves implicated in corruption scandals. The major scandal being Bofors Gun scandal involving alleged payoffs by the Swedish Bofors arms company. The scandal rapidly eroded his popularity and he lost the next general elections held in 1989. A coalition comprising government came to the power but it could not last its full term and general elections were called in 1991. While campaigning for elections in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 by a suicide bomber belonging to LTTE.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Biography

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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Biography

Born: December 3, 1884
Died: February 28, 1963
Achievements: First President of independent India; President of the Constituent Assembly; President of Congress in 1943 and 1939.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent India. He was the President of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution. He had also served as a Cabinet Minister briefly in the first Government of independent India. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was one of the foremost disciples of Gandhiji and he played a crucial role in Indian freedom struggle.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3, 1884 in Ziradei village in Siwan district of Bihar. His father's name was Mahadev Sahay and his mother's name was Kamleshwari Devi. Rajendra Prasad was youngest among his siblings. Mahadev Sahay was a Persian and Sanskrit language scholar. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was greatly attached to his mother and elder brother Mahendra.

At the age of five Rajendra Prasad was, according to the practice in the community to which he belonged, put under a Maulavi who taught him Persian. Later, he was taught Hindi and arithmetic. At the age of 12, Rajendra Prasad was married to Rajvanshi Devi.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was a brilliant student. He stood first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta, and was awarded a monthly scholarship of Rs.30. He joined the famous Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. Here his teachers included the great scientist Jagdish Chandra Ray and the highly respected Prafulla Chandra Roy. Later on he switched from Science to Arts and completed his M.A. and Masters in Law. Meanwhile, in 1905, Doctor, Rajendra Prasad was initiated into the Swadeshi Movement by his elder brother Mahendra. He also joined the Dawn Society run by Satish Chandra Mukherjee, and Sister Nivedita.

The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian national scene greatly influenced Dr. Rajendra Prasad. While Gandhiji was on a fact-finding mission in Champaran district of Bihar, he called on Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was greatly impressed by the dedication, conviction and courage that Gandhiji displayed. Gandhiji's influence greatly altered Dr. Rajendra Prasad's outlook. He sought ways to simplify his life and reduced the number of servants he had to one. He started doing his daily chores such as sweeping the floor, washing the utensils-the tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.

After coming into contact with Gandhiji, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, immersed himself fully into the freedom struggle. He played a active role during Non-Cooperation Movement. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was arrested in 1930 while participating in Salt Satyagraha. He was in jail when on 15 January 1934 a devastating earthquake struck Bihar. Rajendra Prasad was released from the jail two days later and he immediately set himself for the task of raising funds and organizing relief. The Viceroy also raised a fund for the purpose. However, while Rajendra Prasad's fund collected over Rs.3.8million, the Viceroy could only manage one-third of that amount. The way the relief was organized, it amply demonstrated the administrative acumen of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Soon after this Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress. He was elected as Congress President again in 1939 in the following the resignation of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.

In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the Constitution of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected its President. Two and a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as India's first President. As a President, he used his moderating influence silently and unobtrusively and set a healthy precedent for others to follow. During his tenure as President he visited many countries on missions of goodwill and sought to establish and nourish new relationships.

In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. He spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. Dr. Rajendra Prasad died on February 28, 1963.

Motilal Nehru Biography

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Motilal Nehru Biography

Born: May 6, 1861
Died: February 6, 1931
Achievements: Elected as Congress President twice; formed Swaraj Party and was Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly; prepared a draft Constitution for India.

Motilal Nehru was a doyen of Indian freedom struggle. He was the patriarch of what later became modern India's most powerful political dynasty. He was one of the most brilliant lawyers of the pre-independence India. He was elected as Congress President twice and is famous as the father of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He was affectionately called as Pandit Motilal Nehru.

Motilal Nehru was born on May 6, 1861 in Delhi in a Kashmiri brahmin family. His father was Gangadhar and his mother was Jeevarani. Motilal Nehru's father died before Motilal was born. Moti Lal Nehru was brought up by his elder brother Nandalal who was a junior lawyer in Allahabad.

Motilal Nehru became one of the first generation of young Indians to receive 'Western-style' college education. He attended Muir College at Agra, but failed to appear for the final year B.A examinations. He then decided to join legal profession and appeared for law examination. Motilal Nehru secured first place in law examination and started his practice as lawyer in Kanpur in 1883.

Later Motilal Nehru settled in Allahabad and earned a mark for himself as one of the best lawyers of the country. He used to earns in lakhs every month and lived with great splendor and pomp. He bought a large family home in the Civil Lines of Allahabad and christened it as Anand Bhavan. He frequently visited Europe and adopted Western lifestyle. In 1909 he reached the pinnacle of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. In 1910, Motilal contested the election to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces and won.

The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian political scene transformed Motilal Nehru. Jalianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919 shattered his faith in British rule and he decided to enter freedom struggle. The British government appointed a Commission to inquire into the Jalianwala Bagh incident. The Congress boycotted this commission. It appointed its own Inquiry Committee. Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Chittranjan Das were among its members. Following Mahatma Gandhi's call for Non Cooperation movement, he gave up his legal practice. He also shunned his luxurious lifestyle, gave away his Western clothes and articles and started wearing khadi.

Motilal Nehru was elected as Congress President in 1919 and 1920. In 1923, he founded the Swaraj party along with Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das. The object of the Swaraj Part was to enter the Legislative Assembly as elected members to oppose the government. Motilal Nehru first became the Secretary and later the President of Swaraj party. He became the Leader of the Opposition in the Central Legislative Assembly and vociferously opposed and exposed the decisions of the government.

When the Simon Commission was appointed in 1927, Motilal Nehru was asked to draw up a draft constitution for free India. The constitution, drawn up by him, proposed Dominion status for India. The radical wing of the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subash Chandra Bose opposed Dominion status and favoured full freedom.

Motilal Nehru was arrested in 1930, in the wake of Civil Disobedience Movement. He was released in 1931, in view of his deteriorating health. Motilal Nehru passed away on February 6, 1931 in Lucknow.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography

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Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography

Born: October 2, 1904
Died: January 10, 1966
Achievements: Played a leading role in Indian freedom struggle; became Parliamentary Secretary of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh; became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet; appointed as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet; also held the portfolios of Transport & Communications, Commerce and Industry, and Home Ministry in the Central cabinet; became Prime Minister of India in 1964; led India to victory over Pakistan in 1965 war.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of independent India. Though diminutive in physical stature he was a man of great courage and will. He successfully led country during the 1965 war with Pakistan. To mobilize the support of country during the war he coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan". Lal Bahadur Sastri also played a key role in India's freedom struggle. He led his life with great simplicity and honesty and was a great source of inspiration for all the countrymen.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. Lal Bahadur's surname was Srivastava but he dropped it as he did not want to indicate his caste. Lal Bahadur's father was a school teacher and later on he became a clerk in the Revenue Office at Allahabad. Though Sharada Prasad was poor, he lived a life of honesty and integrity. Lal Bahadur lost his father when he was only one. Ramdulari Devi raised Lal Bahadur and her two daughters at her father's house.

There is a very famous incident regarding Lal Bahadur Shastri's childhood which took place when he was six years old. One day, while returning from school, Lal Bahadur and his friends went to an orchard that was on the way to home. Lal Bahadur Shastri was standing below while his friends climbed the trees to pluck mangoes. Meanwhile, the gardener came and caught hold of Lalbahadur Shastri. He scolded Lal Bahadur Shastri and started beating him. Lal Bahadur Shastri pleaded to gardener to leave him as he was orphan. Taking pity on Lal Bahadur, the gardener said, "Because you are an orphan, it is all the more important that you must learn better behavior." These words left a deep imprint on Lal Bahadur Shastri and he swore to behave better in the future.

Lal Bahadur stayed at his grandfather's house till he was ten. By that time he had passed the sixth standard examination. He went to Varanasi for higher education. In 1921 when Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against British Government, Lal Bahadur Shastri, was only seventeen years old. When Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of Government schools and colleges, offices and courts and to sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom, Lal Bahadur came out of his school. Though his mother and relatives advised him not to do so, he was firm in his decision. Lal Bahadur was arrested during the Non-cooperation movement but as he was too young he was let off.

After his release Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth and for four years he studied philosophy. In 1926, Lal Bahadur earned the degree of "Shastri" After leaving Kashi Vidya Peeth, Lal Bahadur Shastri joined "The Servants of the People Society", which Lala Lajpat Rai had started in 1921. The aim of the Society was to train youths that were prepared to dedicate their lives in the service of the country. In 1927, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi. The marriage ceremony was very simple and Shastriji took only a charkha (spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi in dowry.

In 1930, Gandhiji gave the call for Civil Disobedience Movement. Lal Bahadur Shastri joined the movement and encouraged people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and put in jail for two and a half years. In jail Shastriji became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. Lal Bahadur Shastri had great self respect. Once when he was in prison, one of his daughters fell seriously ill. The officers agreed to release him out for a short time but on condition that he should agree in writing not to take part in the freedom 'movement during this period. Lal Bahadur did not wish to participate in the freedom movement during his temporary release from prison; but he said that he would not give it in writing. He thought that it was against his self-respect to give it in writing.

After Second World War started in 1939, Congress launched "Individual Satyagraha" in 1940 to demand freedom. Lal Bahadur Shastri was arrested during Individual Satyagraha and released after one year. On August 8, 1942, Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement. Lal Bahadur actively participated in the movement. He went underground but was later arrested. Lal Bahadur Shastri was released in 1945 along with other major leaders. He earned the praise of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant by his hard work during the 1946 provincial elections. Lal Bahadur's administrative ability and organization skills came to the fore during this time. When Govind Vallabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as his Parliamentary Secretary. In 1947, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet.

Lal Bahadur Sastri was the General Secretary of the Congress Party when the first general elections were held after India became Republic. Congress Party returned to power with a huge majority. In 1952, Jawahar Lal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet. Lal Bahadur Shastri's contribution in providing more facilities to travelers in third class compartments cannot be forgotten. He reduced the vast disparity between the first class and third class in the Railways. Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned from Railways in 1956, owning moral responsibility for a railway accident. Jawaharlal Nehru tried to persuade Shastriji but Lal Bahadur Shastri refused to budge from his stand. By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of morality in public life.

In the next general elections when Congress returned to power, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister for Transport and Communications and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry. He became the Home Minister in 1961, after the death of Govind Vallabh Pant. In the 1962 India-China war Shastriji played a key role in maintaining internal security of the country.

After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime Minister of India. It was a difficult time and the country was facing huge challenges. There was food shortage in the country and on the security front Pakistan was creating problems. In 1965, Pakistan tried to take advantage of India's vulnerability and attacked India. Mild-mannered Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the occasion and led the country ably. To enthuse soldiers and farmers he coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". Pakistan lost the war and Shastriji's leadership was praised all over the world.

In January 1966, to broker peace between India and Pakistan, Russia mediated a meeting between Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan in Tashkent, Russia. India and Pakistan signed the joint declaration under Russian mediation. Under the treaty India agreed to return to Pakistan all the territories occupied by it during the war. The joint declaration was signed on January 10, 1966 and Lal Bahadur Shastri died of heart attack on the same night.

Lala Lajpat Rai Biography

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Lala Lajpat Rai Biography

Born: January 28, 1865
Died: November17, 1928
Achievements: Popularly known as Lala Lajpat Rai; Founded the Indian Home League Society of America; became Congress President in 1920.

Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the foremost leaders who fought against British rule in India. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari (Lion of the Punjab).

Lala Lajpat Rai was born on January 28, 1865 in village Dhudike, in present day Moga district of Punjab. He was the eldest son of Munshi Radha Kishan Azad and Gulab Devi. His father was an Aggarwal Bania by caste. His mother inculcated strong moral values in him.

Lala Lajpat Rai joined the Government College at Lahore in 1880 to study Law. While in college he came in contact with patriots and future freedom fighters like Lala Hans Raj and Pandit Guru Dutt. The three became fast friends and joined the Arya Samaj founded by Swami Daya Nand Saraswati. He passed his Vakilship Examination in Second Division from Government College in 1885 and started his legal practice in Hissar. Besides practicing, Lalaji collected funds for the Daya Nand College, attended Arya Samaj functions and participated in Congress activities. He was elected to the Hissar municipality as a member and later as secretary. He shifted to Lahore in 1892.

Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the three most prominent Hindu Nationalist members of the Indian National Congress. He was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio. The other two members of the trio were Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal. They formed the extremist faction of the Indian National Congress, as opposed to the moderate one led first by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Lalaji actively participated in the struggle against partition of Bengal. Along with Surendra Nath Banerjee, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurorbindo Ghosh, he galvanized Bengal and the nation in a vigorous campaign of Swadeshi. Lalaji was arrested on May 3, 1907 for creating "turmoil" in Rawalpindi. He was put in Mandalay jail for six months and was released on November 11, 1907.

Lalaji believed that it was important for the national cause to organize propaganda in foreign countries to explain India's position because the freedom struggle had taken a militant turn. He left for Britain in April 1914 for this purpose. At this time First World War broke out and he was unable to return to India. He went to USA to galvanize support for India. He founded the Indian Home League Society of America and wrote a book called "Young India". The book severely indicted British rule in India and was banned in Britain and India even before it was published. He was able to return to India in 1920 after the end of World War.

After his return, Lala Lajpat Rai, led the Punjab protests against the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre and the Non-Cooperation Movement. He was arrested several times. He disagreed with Gandhiji's suspension of Non-Cooperation movement due to the Chauri-Chaura incident, and formed the Congress Independence Party, which had a pro-Hindu slant.

In 1928, British Government decided to send Simon Commission to India to discuss constitutional reforms. The Commission had no Indian member. This greatly angered Indians. In 1929, when the Commisssion came to India there were protests all over India. Lala Lajpat Rai himself led one such procession against Simon Commission. While the procession was peaceful, British Government brutally lathicharged the procession. Lala Lajpat Rai received severe head injuries and died on November17, 1928.

Jawaharlal Nehru Biography

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Jawaharlal Nehru Biography

Born: November 14, 1889
Died: May 27, 1964
Achievements: Took active part in Non-Cooperation Movement; elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive; Presided over Congress' annual session in Lahore in 1929 and passed a resolution demanding India's independence; elected as Congress President in 1936, 1937, and 1946; became first Prime Minister of independent India; was one of the main architects of Non Aligned Movement.

Jawaharlal Nehru, also known as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the foremost leaders of Indian freedom struggle. He was the favourite disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and later on went on to become the first Prime Minister of India. Jawahar Lal Nehru is widely regarded as the architect of modern India. He was very fond of children and children used to affectionately call him Chacha Nehru.

Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889. His father Motilal Nehru was a famous Allahabad based barrister. Jawaharlal Nehru's mother's name was Swaroop Rani. Jawaharlal Nehru was the only son of Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru has three daughters apart from Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehrus were Saraswat Brahmin of Kashmiri lineage.

Jawaharlal Nehru received education in some of the finest schools and universities of the world. He did his schooling from Harrow and completed his Law degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. The seven years he spent in England widened his horizons and he acquired a rational and skeptical outlook and sampled Fabian socialism and Irish nationalism, which added to his own patriotic dedication.

Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India in 1912 and started legal practice. He married Kamala Nehru in 1916. Jawahar Lal Nehru joined Home Rule League in 1917. His real initiation into politics came two years later when he came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had launched a campaign against Rowlatt Act. Nehru was instantly attracted to Gandhi's commitment for active but peaceful, civil disobedience. Gandhi himself saw promise and India's future in the young Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru family changed its family according to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings. Jawaharlal and Motilal Nehru abandoned western clothes and tastes for expensive possessions and pastimes. They now wore a Khadi Kurta and Gandhi cap. Jawaharlal Nehru took active part in the Non- Cooperation Movement 1920-1922) and was arrested for the first time during the movement. He was released after few months.

Jawaharlal Nehru was elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive. This proved to be a valuable administrative experience for stood him in good stead later on when he became the prime minister of the country. He used his tenure to expand public education, health care and sanitation. He resigned in 1926 citing lack of cooperation from civil servants and obstruction from British authorities.

From 1926 to 1928, Jawaharlal served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. In 1928-29, the Congress's annual session under President Motilal Nehru was held. During that session Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose backed a call for full political independence, while Motilal Nehru and others wanted dominion status within the British Empire. To resolve the point, Gandhi said that the British would be given two years to grant India dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would launch a national struggle for full, political independence. Nehru and Bose reduced the time of opportunity to one year. The British did not respond.

In December 1929, Congress's annual session was held in Lahore and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Congress Party. During that sessions a resolution demanding India's independence was passed and on January 26, 1930 in Lahore, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled free India's flag. Gandhiji gave a call for Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. The movement was a great success and forced British Government to acknowledge the need for major political reforms.

When the British promulgated the Government of India Act 1935, the Congress Party decided to contest elections. Nehru stayed out of the elections, but campaigned vigorously nationwide for the party. The Congress formed governments in almost every province, and won the largest number of seats in the Central Assembly. Nehru was elected to the Congress presidency in 1936, 1937, and 1946, and came to occupy a position in the nationalist movement second only to that of Gandhi. Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested in 1942 during Quit India Movement. Released in 1945, he took a leading part in the negotiations that culminated in the emergence of the dominions of India and Pakistan in August 1947.

In 1947, he became the first Prime Minister of independent India. He effectively coped with the formidable challenges of those times: the disorders and mass exodus of minorities across the new border with Pakistan, the integration of 500-odd princely states into the Indian Union, the framing of a new constitution, and the establishment of the political and administrative infrastructure for a parliamentary democracy.

Jawaharlal Nehru played a key role in building modern India. He set up a Planning Commission, encouraged development of science and technology, and launched three successive five-year plans. His policies led to a sizable growth in agricultural and industrial production. Nehru also played a major role in developing independent India's foreign policy. He called for liquidation of colonialism in Asia and Africa and along with Tito and Nasser, was one of the chief architects of the nonaligned movement. He played a constructive, mediatory role in bringing the Korean War to an end and in resolving other international crises, such as those over the Suez Canal and the Congo, offering India's services for conciliation and international policing. He contributed behind the scenes toward the solution of several other explosive issues, such as those of West Berlin, Austria, and Laos.

But Jawahar Lal Nehru couldn't improve India's relations with Pakistan and China. The Kashmir issue proved a stumbling block in reaching an accord with Pakistan, and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese invasion in 1962, which Nehru failed to anticipate, came as a great blow to him and probably hastened his death. Jawaharlal Nehru died of a hear attack on May 27, 1964.

Chandrashekhar Azad Biography

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Chandrashekhar Azad Biography

Born: July 23,1906
Died: February 27, 1931
Achievements: Involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai; formed Hindustan Socialist Republican Association with fellow compatriots Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a great Indian freedom fighter. His fierce patriotism and courage inspired others of his generation to enter freedom struggle. Chandrasekhar Azad was the mentor Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter, and along with Bhagat Singh he is considered as one of the greatest revolutionaries that India has produced.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on July 23,1906 in village Bhavra in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. His parents were Pandit Sitaram Tiwari and Jagarani Devi. He received his early schooling in Bhavra. For higher studies he went to the Sanskrit Pathashala at Varanasi. He was an ardent follower of Hanuman and once disguised himself as a priest in a hanuman temple to escape the dragnet of British police.

Chandrashekhar Azad was deeply troubled by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in 1919. In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-Cooperation movement, Chandrasekhar Azad actively participated in revolutionary activities. He received his first punishment at the age of fifteen. Chandra Shekhar was caught while indulging in revolutionary activities. When the magistrate asked him his name, he said "Azad" (meaning free). Chandrashekhar Azad was sentenced to fifteen lashes. With each stroke of the whip the young Chandrasekhar shouted "Bart Mata Kid Jai". From then on Chandrashekhar assumed the title of Azad and came to known as Chandrashekhar Azad. Chandrashekhar Azad vowed that he would never be arrested by the British police and would die as free man.

After the suspension of non-cooperation movement Chandrashekhar Azad was attracted towards more aggressive and revolutionary ideals. He committed himself to complete independence by any means. Chandrashekhar Azad and his compatriots would target British officials known for their oppressive actions against ordinary people and freedom fighters. Chandrashekhar Azad was involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai.

Along with Bhagat Singh and other compatriots like Sukhdev and Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad formed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HRSA). HRSA was committed to complete Indian independence and socialist principles for India's future progress.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a terror for British police. He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive. On February 27, 1931 Chandrashekhar Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allah bad. He was betrayed by an informer who had informed the British police. The police surrounded the park and ordered Chandrashekhar Azad to surrender. Chandrashekhar Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen. But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, Chandrashekhar Azad shot himself. Thus he kept his pledge of not being caught alive.

Shobha De

2007-09-05T14:18:00.000+05:30

Shobha De

Shobha De is an eminent Indian novelist, who is often known as India's Jackie Collins. She was born as Shobha Rajadhyaksha to the Saraswat Brahmin family of Maharashtra on the January 7, 1947. She completed her graduation from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and obtained degree in Psychology. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Shobha De, a well known Indian writer.

In the beginning of her career, she worked as a model and made a name for herself. Thereafter, she thought of changing her profession. Then, she pursued her career in Journalism. She brought out three magazines namely Stardust, Society, and Celebrity. Presently, she is working as a freelance writer for a couple of newspapers and magazines. To know the complete life history of Shobha Dey, read on.

These days, she is staying with her second husband Dilip De along with their children in one of the posh colonies of Mumbai. Most of her writings focus on different aspects of urban India. The erotic matter that she has written in the past has become the subject of controversy. She has also been actively involved in writing scripts for various TV soaps like Swabhimaan.

At present, she is working as a columnist and writes for a fortnight magazine "The Week". In this periodical, she writes on varied issues concerning the society. She speaks her mind in her writings. She often expresses her dissatisfaction with respect to the behavior exhibited by the present day generation. Many a times, she has been held responsible for accelerating the pace and bringing about a sexual revolution through her writings in the column "The Sexes" of the magazine "The Week". She has also written a couple of erotic novels.

Notable Works of Shobha De
Starry Nights
Socialite Evenings
Sultry Days
Sisters
Small betrayals
Second Thoughts
Surviving Men
Spouse
Snapshots
Selective Memory

Mahadevi Varma

2007-09-05T14:16:00.000+05:30

Mahadevi Varma

She is a well known Hindi poet of the Chhayavaad generation, the times when every poet used to incorporate romanticism in their poetry. She is more often called the modern Meera. Well, we are talking about the famous Mahadevi Varma, who achieved the Jnanpith award in the year 1982. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Mahadevi Varma, so read on.

Life History
Mahadevi was born in the family of lawyers in 1907 in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh. She completed her education in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. At a young age of nine in the year 1914, she was married to Dr Swarup Narain Varma. She lived with her parents till the time her husband completed his studies in Lucknow. It is during this period that, Mahadevi pursued further education at the Allahabad University. She did her masters in Sanskrit from there.

She met her husband for sometime in the princely state of Tamkoi somewhere around 1920. Thereafter, she moved to Allahabad to further her interest in poetry. Unfortunately, she and her husband mostly lived separately and were busy pursuing their individual interests. They used to meet occasionally. Her husband died in the year 1966. Then, she decided to permanently shift to Allahabad.

She was highly influenced by the values preached by the Buddhist culture. She was so much inclined towards Buddhism that, she even attempted to become a Buddhist bhikshuni. With the establishment of Allahabad (Prayag) Mahila Vidyapeeth, which was primarily set up to impart cultural values to girls, she became the first headmistress of the institute. This famous personality died in 1987.

Writings
Mahadevi Varma is one amongst the other major poets of the Chhayavaadi school of the Hindi literature. She is the epitome of child prodigy. Not only she wrote fabulous poetry, but also made sketches for her poetic works such as Deepshikha and Yatra. Deepshikha is one of the best works of Mahadevi Varma. She is also famous for her book of memoirs.

Notable Works of Mahadevi Varma

Prose
Ateet Ke chalchitra
Kshanda'
Mera Parivaar
Path ke Saathi
Sahityakaar ki Asatha
Sambhashan
Sankalpita
Shrinkhla ki kadiya
Smriti Ki Rekhayen

Poetry
Deepshikha
Himalaya
Neerja
Nihar
Rashmi
Saandhya geet
Saptaparna

Collection
Geetparva
Mahadevi sahitya
Parikrama
Sandhini
Smarika
Smritichitra
Yama

Honors
Her writings were well acclaimed and earned her an important position in the world of Hindi literature. She is believed to be one of the supporting pillars of the Chaayavad movement. Her amazing poetry collection Yama brought her the Gyanpeeth award (1940), the highest Indian literary award. In the year 1956, the Government of India honored her by conferring the title of Padma Bhushan upon her. She was the first Indian woman to become a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi in the year 1979.

Salman Rushdie Profile

2007-09-05T14:15:00.000+05:30

Salman Rushdie Profile

Born: June 19, 1947
Achievement: Awarded the 'Booker of Bookers' prize in 1993 for his novel "Midnight's Children"

Salman Rushdie is one of the most famous Indian origin authors. He is best known for the violent backlash his book The Satanic Verses (1988) provoked in the Muslim community. Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomenei issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, calling for his assassination, forcing Rushdie to go underground.

Salman Rushdie was born in Mumbai on June 19, 1947. When Rushdie was 17 his family migrated to Pakistan. Rushdie did his schooling from Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, and Rugby School in Warwickshire. Salman Rushdie did his graduation in History from King's College, Cambridge. Following an advertising career with Ayer Barker, Salman Rushdie became a full-time writer.

Salman Rushdie began his writing career began with Grimus, which was published in 1975. He gained literary fame with his second novel "Midnight's Children." The book was awarded the 'Booker of Bookers' prize in 1993 after being selected as the best novel to be awarded the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. The novel narrates key events in the history of India through fiction. His third novel "Shame", depicted the political turmoil in Pakistan with characters based on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Salman Rushdie's latest novel was Shalimar The Clown. The novel was shortlisted for the 2005 Whitbread Novel Award.

Salman Rushdie has won many awards and honors. These include: Booker Prize for Fiction, James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction), Arts Council Writers' Award, "Booker of Bookers" or the best novel among the Booker Prize winners for Fiction, and Writers' Guild Award.

Mulk Raj Anand Profile

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Mulk Raj Anand Profile

Born: December 12, 1905
Died: September 28, 2004
Achievement: Mulk Raj Anand was among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English.

Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian novelist, short-story writer. He was among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English. Mulk Raj Anand's stories depicted a realistic and sympathetic portrait of the poor in India.

Mulk Raj Anand was born on December 12, 1905 in Peshawar. He graduated with honors from Khalsa College, Amritsar in 1924. Mulk Raj Anand went to England and studied at University College London and Cambridge University. He completed his PhD in 1929. Mulk Raj Anand also studied - and later lectured - at League of Nations School of Intellectual Cooperation in Geneva. Between 1932 and 1945 he lectured intermittently at Workes Educational Association in London.

Mulk Raj Anand was initiated into the literary career by a family tragedy, instigated by the rigidity of the caste system. Anand's first prose essay was a response to the suicide of an aunt, who had been excommunicated by his family for sharing a meal with a Muslim. Mulk Raj Anand's first novel, "Untouchable", (1935), was a stark reflection of the day-to-day life of a member of India's untouchable caste. The book was widely acclaimed and Mulk Raj Anand was hailed as India's Charles Dickens. His second novel "Coolie" depicts the plight of India's poor through the story of a 15-year-old boy, trapped in servitude as a child labourer, who eventually dies of tuberculosis.

In the 1930s and 1940s Mulk Raj Anand divided his time between London and India. He joined the struggle for independence, but also fought with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. After the war Anand returned permanently to India and settled in Bombay. In 1946 he founded the fine-arts magazine Marg. He also became a director of Kutub Publishers. From 1948 to 1966 Anand taught at Indian universities. Mulk Raj Anand was fine art chairman at Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Arts from 1965 to 1970. In 1970, he became president of Lokayata Trust, for creating a community and cultural center in the village of Hauz Khas, New Delhi.

Mulk Raj Anand died on September 28, 2004.

Arundhati Roy Profile

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Arundhati Roy Profile

Born: November 24, 1961
Achievement: Won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her first novel "The God of Small Things"; Awarded Sydney Peace Prize in 2004.

Arundhati Roy is a famous Indian novelist and social activist. Arundhati Roy came into limelight in 1997 when she won the Booker Prize for her first novel "The God of Small Things". She was awarded Sydney Peace Prize in 2004.

Arundhati Roy was born November 24, 1961 in Assam. Her mother was a Keralite Christian and her father was a Bengali Hindu. Their marriage was not successful and Arundhati Roy spent her childhood years in Aymanam, Kerala with her mother. Arundhati's mother, who was a prominent social activist, founded an independent school and taught her daughter informally.

At age of sixteen Arundhati left home, and eventually enrolled at the Delhi School of Architecture. There she met her first husband, Gerard Da Cunha, a fellow architecture student. Their marriage lasted four years. Both of them did not have great love for architecture, so they quit their profession and went off to Goa. They used to make cake and sell it on the beach to make living. This continued for seven months after which Arundhati returned back to Delhi.

She took a job at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, rented a barsati near the dargah at Nizamuddin and hired a bicycle. One day film director Pradeep Krishen saw her cycling down a street and offered her a small role of tribal girl in the film "Massey Saab". Arundhati Roy accepted the role after initial reservations. She later on married Pradeep Krishen. Meanwhile, Arundhati got a scholarship to go to Italy for eight months to study the restoration of monuments.

After returning from Italy Arundhati Roy linked with her husband to planned a 26 episode television serial for Doordarshan called the Banyan Tree. The serial was later scrapped. She wrote screenplays for a couple of TV films - "In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones" and "Electric Moon". Arundhati Roy also wrote screenplay for Shekhar Kapur's controversial film 'Bandit Queen'. The controversy escalated into a court case, after which Arundhati Roy retired to private life to concentrate on her writing, which eventually resulted in "The God of Small Things".

After winning the Booker Prize for "The God of Small Things", Arundhati Roy has concentrated her writings on political issues. She has written on varied topics such as Narmada Dam project, India's nuclear weapons and American power giant Enron's activities in India. Arundhati Roy strongly associated with anti-globalization movement and is a staunch critic of neo-imperialism.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography

2007-09-05T14:10:00.000+05:30

Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Born: May 7, 1861
Died: August 7, 1941
Achievements: Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to became Nobel laureate when he won Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913; awarded knighthood by the British King George V; established Viswabharati University; two songs from his Rabindrasangit canon are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh

Rabindranath Tagore was an icon of Indian culture. He was a poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist. Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to became Nobel laureate when he won Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913. He was popularly called as Gurudev and his songs were popularly known as Rabindrasangeet. Two songs from his Rabindrasangit canon are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh: the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla.

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 in a wealthy Brahmin family in Calcutta. He was the ninth son of Debendranath and Sarada Devi. His grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. Rabindra Nath Tagore had his initial education in Oriental Seminary School. But he did not like the conventional education and started studying at home under several teachers. After undergoing his upanayan (coming-of-age) rite at the age of eleven, Tagore and his father left Calcutta in 1873 to tour India for several months, visiting his father's Santiniketan estate and Amritsar before reaching the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie. There, Tagore read biographies, studied history, astronomy, modern science, and Sanskrit, and examined the classical poetry of Kalidasa.

In 1874, Tagore's poem Abhilaash (Desire) was published anonymously in a magazine called Tattobodhini. Tagore's mother Sarada Devi expired in 1875. Rabindranath's first book of poems, Kabi Kahini ( tale of a poet ) was published in 1878. In the same year Tagore sailed to England with his elder brother Satyandranath to study law. But he returned to India in 1880 and started his career as poet and writer. In 1883, Rabindranath Tagore married Mrinalini Devi Raichaudhuri, with whom he had two sons and three daughters.

In 1884, Tagore wrote a collection of poems Kori-o-Kamal (Sharp and Flats). He also wrote dramas - Raja-o-Rani ( King and Queen) and Visarjan (Sacrifice). In 1890, Rabindranath Tagore moved to Shilaidaha (now in Bangladesh) to look after the family estate. Between 1893 and 1900 Tagore wrote seven volumes of poetry, which included Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat) and Khanika. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore became the editor of the magazine Bangadarshan. He Established Bolpur Bramhacharyaashram at Shantiniketan, a school based on the pattern of old Indian Ashrama. In 1902, his wife Mrinalini died. Tagore composed Smaran ( In Memoriam ), a collection of poems, dedicated to his wife.

In 1905, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal into two parts. Rabindranath Tagore strongly protested against this decision. Tagore wrote a number of national songs and attended protest meetings. He introduced the Rakhibandhan ceremony , symbolizing the underlying unity of undivided Bengal.

In 1909, Rabindranath Tagore started writing Gitanjali. In 1912, Tagore went to Europe for the second time. On the journey to London he translated some of his poems/songs from Gitanjali to English. He met William Rothenstein, a noted British painter, in London. Rothenstien was impressed by the poems, made copies and gave to Yeats and other English poets. Yeats was enthralled. He later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. Rabindranath Tagore was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali. In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V.

In 1919, following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Tagore renounced his knighthood. He was a supporter of Gandhiji but he stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and militarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity and tolerance. Unable to gain ideological support to his views, he retired into relative solitude. Between the years 1916 and 1934 he traveled widely.

1n 1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Viswabharati University. He gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University. Tagore was not only a creative genius, he was quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and science too. Tagore had a good grasp of modern - post-Newtonian - physics, and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. His meetings and tape recorded conversations with his contemporaries such Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, epitomize his brilliance.

In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan and awarded Rabindranath Tagore with Doctorate Of Literature. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941 in his ancestral home in Calcutta.

Premchand Biography

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Premchand Biography

Born: July 31, 1880
Died: October 8, 1936.
Achievements: Premchand brought realism to Hindi literature. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day-communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism etc. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi and instead used the dialect of the common people.

Premchand popularly known as Munshi Premchand was one of the greatest literary figures of modern Hindi literature. His stories vividly portrayed the social scenario of those times.

Premchand's real name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava. He was born on July 31, 1880 in Lamahi near Varanasi where his father Munshi Azaayab Lal was a clerk in the post office. Premchand lost his mother when he was just seven years old. His father married again. Premchand was very close to his elder sister. His early education was in a madarasa under a Maulavi, where he learnt Urdu. When he was studying in the ninth class he was married, much against his wishes. He was only fifteen years old at that time.

Premchand lost his father when he was sixteen years old. Premchand was left responsible for his stepmother and stepsiblings. He earned five rupees a month tutoring a lawyer's child. Premchand passed his matriculation exam with great effort and took up a teaching position, with a monthly salary of eighteen rupees. While working, he studied privately and passed his Intermediate and B. A. examinations. Later, Premchand worked as the deputy sub-inspector of schools in what was then the United Provinces.

In 1910, he was hauled up by the District Magistrate in Jamirpur for his anthology of short stories Soz-e-Watan (Dirge of the Nation), which was labelled seditious. His book Soz-e-Watan was banned by the then British government, which burnt all of the copies. Initially Premchand wrote in Urdu under the name of Nawabrai. However, when his novel Soz-e-Watan was confiscated by the British, he started writing under the pseudonym Premchand.

Before Premchand, Hindi literature consisted mainly of fantasy or religious works. Premchand brought realism to Hindi literature. He wrote over 300 stories, a dozen novels and two plays. The stories have been compiled and published as Maansarovar. His famous creations are: Panch Parameshvar, Idgah, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Poos Ki Raat, Bade Ghar Ki Beti, Kafan, Udhar Ki Ghadi, Namak Ka Daroga, Gaban, Godaan, and Nirmala.

Premchand was a great social reformer; he married a child widow named Shivarani Devi. She wrote a book on him, Premchand Gharmein after his death. In 1921 he answered Gandhiji's call and resigned from his job. He worked to generate patriotism and nationalistic sentiments in the general populace. When the editor of the journal _Maryaada_ was jailed in the freedom movement, Premchand worked for a time as the editor of that journal. Afterward, he worked as the principal in a school in the Kashi Vidyapeeth.

The main characteristic of Premchand's writings is his interesting storytelling and use of simple language. His novels describe the problems of rural and urban India. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi and instead used the dialect of the common people. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day -communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism etc.

Premchand's writings have been translated not only into all Indian languages, but also Russian, Chinese, and many other foreign languages. He died on October 8, 1936.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Biography

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Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Biography

Born: June 27, 1838
Died: April 8, 1894
Achievements: Author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee also known as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the greatest novelists and poets of India. He is famous as author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was born on June 27, 1838 in the village Kantalpara of the 24 Paraganas District of Bengal. He belonged to a family of Brahmins. The word 'Bankim Chandra' in Bengali means 'the moon on the second day of the bright fortnight'. Bankim Chandra's father Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyaya was in government service. After his birth he was posted to Midnapur as Deputy Collector.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had his early education in Midnapur. He was a brilliant student. After his early education in Midnapur Bankim Chandra Chatterji joined the Mohsin College at Hoogly and studied there for six years. Apart from his textbooks, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, used to read other books in his leisure time. He was very much interested in the study of Sanskrit. His study of Sanskrit stood him in good stead. Later, when he wrote books in Bengali his knowledge of Sanskrit helped him immensely.

In 1856, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee joined the Presidency College in Calcutta. In 1857, there was a strong revolt against the rule of East India Company but Bankim Chandra Chatterjee continued his studies and passed his B.A. Examination in 1859. The Lieutenant Governor of Calcutta appointed Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as Deputy Collector in the same year. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was in Government service for thirty-two years and retired in 1891. He was a very conscientious worker.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was married when he was only eleven . At that time his wife was only five years old. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was only twenty two when his wife died. After some time he married again. His second wife was Rajlakshmi Devi. They had three daughters but no son.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee began his literary career as a writer of verse. He then turned to fiction. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance, was published in 1865. His famous novels include Kapalkundala (1866), Mrinalini (1869), Vishbriksha (1873), Chandrasekhar (1877), Rajani (1877), Rajsimha (1881), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884). Bankim Chandra Chatterjee most famous novel was Anand Math (1882). Anand Math contained the song "Bande Mataram", which was later adopted as National Song.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wanted to bring about a cultural revival of Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengali speaking people through literary campaign. With this end in view he brought out monthly magazine called Bangadarshan in 1872.

Bankim Chatterjee was superb story-teller, and a master of romance. No Bengali writer before or since has enjoyed such spontaneous and universal popularity as Chatterjee. His novels have been translated in almost all the major languages of India. He passed away on April 8, 1894.

Lakshmi Mittal Profile

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Lakshmi Mittal Profile

Born: June 15, 1950
Achievement: World's largest steel maker and the third richest man in the world.

Lakshmi Mittal has become something of a cult figure in the global steel industry. His company Mittal Steel is the largest steel maker in the world. After the recent merger between Mittal Steel and Arcelor which raged a big debate throughout the Europe, Laxmi Mittal current controls 10% of the total steel production and the combined entity that has come into force post-merger is three times the size of its nearest competitors.

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal was born on June 15, 1950 at Sadulpur, in Churu district of Rajasthan, in a poor family. The extended family of 20 lived on bare concrete floors, slept on rope beds and cooked on an open fire in the brickyard in a house built by his grandfather. Laxmi Mittal belongs to Marwari Aggarwal caste and his grandfather worked for the Tarachand Ghanshyam Das firm, one of the leading Marwari industrial firms of pre-independence India.

The family later on moved to Kolkata where his father Mohan Mittal became a partner in a steel company. Lakshmi Mittal graduated from St. Xaviers in Kolkata with a commerce degree in 1969. He began his career working in the family's steelmaking business in India and in 1976, Lakshmi Mittal founded Mittal Steel Company. He split from his father and two younger brothers in 1994 and took the international arm, with interests in Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago, while the rest of the family kept the domestic Indian business. In the last few years Mittal Steel has made a number of acquisitions, buying up a network of steel producers in former communist countries including Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine, and pushing into the U.S. in 2004 with the $4.5 billion purchase of International Steel Group. Today, Mittal Steel is the only truly global steel producer in the world with operations on 14 countries, spanning 4 continents.

Lakshmi Mittal is also known for his opulence. In 2003, he acquired the Kensington mansion, said to be the world's most expensive home, from Formula One racing's Bernie Ecclestone for £70 million ($128 million). His daughter Vanisha's $50 million wedding bash is touted as the most expensive wedding of the 20th century.

In March 2006, Lakshmi Mittal was listed as the third wealthiest person in the world after Bill Gates and Warren Buffet by Forbes Magazine.

Lord Swaraj Paul Profile

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Lord Swaraj Paul Profile

Born: 1931
Achievement: Knighted by British Queen in 1978; Awarded Padma Bhushan in 1983.

Lord Swaraj Paul is one of the most famous Indian origin entrepreneurs, based in Britain. He is the founder of multinational company Caparo-the UK-based steel and engineering group.

Swraj Paul was born in Jalandhar in 1931. His father ran a small foundry and used to make steel buckets and farming equipments. Swaraj Paul did his graduation from the Punjab University and subsequently obtained a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. After his return to India, Swaraj Paul joined the Apeejay Group, which his father had founded. Destiny took him to London in 1966, where he went for his daughter's Leukemia treatment, and stayed there forever.

Swaraj Paul started his business in Britain in 1968. After acquiring one steel unit, he went on to acquire more units and founded the Caparo group in the year 1978. Caparo developed into one of the leading producers of welded steel tube and spiral-welded pipe in the UK. In 1996, Swaraj Paul stepped down from the management of the Caparo group and handed over the reins to his three sons.

Lord Swaraj Paul has won several honors and awards. He was knighted by the British Queen in the year 1978 and became the Lord Paul of Marylebone and a member of the House of Lords. Lord Swraj Paul wrote the biography of Indira Gandhi and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1983. He was bestowed with the Pro-Chancellorship of the Thames University in 1998.

Sabeer Bhatia Profile

2007-09-05T14:02:00.000+05:30

Sabeer Bhatia Profile

Born: 1969
Achievements: One of the co-founders of Hotmail; Named by TIME as one of the "People to Watch" in International Business (2002)

Sabeer Bhatia is one of the poster boys of Indian success story at Silicon Valley. He is better known as the man who co-founded Hotmail. He later sold it to Microsoft for $400 million and today Hotmail is the world's largest e-mail provider, with over 50 million registered users.

Sabeer Bhatia was born in 1969 at Chandigarh. He comes from a humble background. His father was an army officer and his mother worked with the Central Bank of India. Sabeer Bhatia had his earlier schooling at Bishop Cotton's School in Pune and later on at St Joseph's College in Bangalore. After passing out from school he joined the Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) at Pilani. At Pilani, he qualified to try for a transfer scholarship at Cal Tech, considered to be the world's most competitive scholarship. Sabeer Bhatia was the only applicant in the entire world in 1988 to get a passing score of 62.

In 1988 Sabeer Bhatia came to America and completed his B.Sc. with honours and earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. In 1992, while working on his Ph.D., Sabeer dropped out and joined Apple Computers as a systems integrator. He worked for Apple Computer for a year. Then he worked for another startup, Firepower Systems Inc. In 1995, Sabir Bhatia co-founded Hotmail Corporation along with Jack Smith, a colleague at Apple Computers. They launched pioneering web-based e-mail service Hotmail. At the end of 1997, he sold Hotmail to Microsoft for $400 million. Sabeer Bhatia t worked for Microsoft for a year until March of 1999, and then in the middle of 1999 he founded Arzoo.com

Arzoo.com was supposed to be a real-time marketplace for technology related solutions and support. It was envisaged as a platform that would enable engineers, developers and scientists from around the world to monetise their expertise on the one hand, and enable corporations to improve the productivity of their employees on the other. Sabeer Bhatia's vision was to make Arzoo.com, the world's largest human network of intellectual capital. But Arzoo.com failed with the burst of dot-com bubble. In 2006 Sabeer Bhatia relaunched Arzoo as a travel portal. Sabeer Bhatia has also started a new venture called BlogEverywhere with co-founders Shiraz Kanga and Viraf Zack.

Sabeer Bhatia has won several honors and awards. These include: "Entrepreneur of the Year," award by the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (1997); and "TR100" award, presented by MIT to 100 young innovators who are expected to have the greatest impact on technology in the next few years. He was named by TIME as one of the "People to Watch" in International Business (2002)

Indra Nooyi Profile

2007-09-05T14:00:00.000+05:30

Indra Nooyi Profile

Achievements: CEO of PepsiCo; Ranked No.4 on Forbes magazine's annual survey of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

Indra Nooyi is the newly appointed CEO of PepsiCo-the world's second-largest soft drink maker. She joins the select band of women who head Fortune 500 companies. Presently, there are only 10 Fortune 500 companies that are run by women, and Indra Nooyi is the 11th to break into the top echelons of power. Prior to becoming CEO, Indra Nooyi was President, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of PepsiCo Inc.

Indra Nooyi spent her childhood in Chennai. Her father worked at the State Bank of Hyderabad and her grandfather was a district judge. She did her BSc. in Chemistry from Madras Christian College and subsequently earned a Master's Degree in Finance and Marketing from IIM Calcutta. Indra Nooyi also holds a Master's Degree in Public and Private management from the Yale School of Management.

Before joining PepsiCo in 1994, Indra Nooyi was Senior Vice President of Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Asea Brown Boveri, and Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Motorola. She also had stints at Mettur Beardsell and Johnson & Johnson. At PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi played key roles in the Tricon spin-off, the purchase of Tropicana, the public offering of Pepsi Cola bottling group and the merger with Quaker Foods.

Indra Nooyi has been ranked No.4 on Forbes magazine's annual survey of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

Zakir Hussain

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Zakir Hussain

Born: March 9, 1951
Achievement: Considered as the chief architect of the contemporary world music movement; youngest percussionist to ever be awarded the title of Padma Shri

Zakir Hussain is a classical tabla virtuoso and the most famous tabla player in India today. His contribution in the field of percussion and in the music world at large is highly appreciated.

Ustad Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1951. His father Ustad Allarakha was himself an established tabla player. Zakir Hussain did his schooling from St. Michael's High School in Mahim and completed his graduation from St Xaviers, Mumbai. Zakir Hussain was a child prodigy and started touring by the age of twelve. He came to the United States in 1970 and started his international career.

Zakir Hussain is widely considered as the chief architect of the contemporary world music movement. He founded much historic collaboration. These include: Shakti, which he founded with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar, the Diga Rhythm Band, Making Music, Planet Drum with Mickey Hart, and recordings and performances with a number of artists such as George Harrison, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Jack Bruce, Tito Puente, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, the Hong Kong Symphony and the New Orleans Symphony.

In 1987, Zakir Hussain's first solo release, "Making Music," was acclaimed as "one of the most inspired East-West fusion albums ever recorded." In 1988, Zakir Hussain became the youngest percussionist to ever be awarded the title of "Padma Shri" by the Indian government. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American Award in recognition for his outstanding cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India. In April, 1991, Zakir Hussain was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the President of India. Zakir Hussain is also the recipient of the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, the United States' most prestigious honor for a master in the traditional arts.

Zakir Hussain has composed soundtracks for several movies, notable among them are "In Custody" and "The Mystic Masseur" by Ismail Merchant. Zakir Hussain has also played tabla on the soundtracks of Francis Coppola's "Apocalypse Now", Bernardo Bertolucci's "Little Buddha".

Shiv Kumar Sharma

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Shiv Kumar Sharma

Born: January 13, 1938
Achievement: Credited with single-handedly making the santoor a popular classical instrument; Recipient of Padmashree and Padma Vibhushan (2001)

Shiv Kumar Sharma's name is synonymous with santoor, Indian classical music instrument. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is credited with single-handedly making the santoor a popular classical instrument.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was born on January 13, 1938. Shivkumar Sharma took his initial training in music under his father, Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma, an exponent of the Benaras Gharana and the "raj pandit" at the court of Maharaja Pratap Singh. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma learnt both the Tabla and the Santoor. He was also a vocalist. But, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma became famous because of his improvisations with santoor, a folk instrument from the valley of Kashmir.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, santoor, also called as Shata-Tantri Veena, was used as an accompaniment to a specific type of singing called Sufiana Mausiqi. Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma was convinced of the potentialities of the instrument and after extensive research on santoor he bestowed the responsibility of establishing it on the concert platform on his only son Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Shiv Kumar Sharma modified santoor to make it more suitable for his classical technique. He introduced the new chromatic arrangement of notes and increased the range to cover full three octaves. He also improvised a new technique of playing with which he could sustain notes and maintain sound continuity. Shiv Kumar Sharma brought Santoor at par with other classical instruments, well established it not just all over India, but also across the globe.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is the recipient of many national and international awards. These include: Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986), Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar (1990), Honorary Doctorate from the University of Jammu (1991), Padmashree (1991), Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Award (1998), and Padma Vibhushan (2001). He is also received the honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA (1985).

Ravi Shankar Profile

2007-09-05T13:57:00.001+05:30

Ravi Shankar Profile

Born: April 7, 1920
Achievement: Made a major contribution in popularizing Indian classical music in the West; Recipient of Padma Vibhushan, Magsaysay Award, AND two Grammy Awards.

Ravi Shankar is a legendary sitar player and one of India's most esteemed classical musicians. Pandit Ravi Shankar has made a major contribution in popularizing Indian classical music in the West through his association with The Beatles (especially George Harrison).

Pandit Ravi Shankar was born on April 7, 1920 at Varanasi, India. His elder brother Uday Shankar was a famous Indian classical dancer. In his early years Ravi Shankar joined his elder brother, Uday Shankar and his troupe and went to Paris in 1930 to experiment with the stage by playing small roles in ballets for the next three years.

In 1938, Ravi Shankar gave up a possible dance career and started learning sitar under Allauddin Khan, founder of the Maihar Gharana of Indian classical music. Ravi Shankar's formal training ended in 1944. Thereafter, Pandit Ravi Shankar joined the IPTA and composed music for several ballets, started Renaissance artistes in 1947 and was in charge of Vadya Vrinda at the All India Radio in 1949. Ravi Shankar first performed outside India in the Soviet Union in 1954. He also performed at major events such as the Edinburgh Festival as well as major venues such as Royal Festival Hall. In 1960s, Ravi Shankar's fusion with George Harrison, a member of The Beatles became very popular in the US and helped in popularizing Indian classical music in the West.

Pandit Ravi Shankar has won several honours and awards. These include: Padma Vibhushan, Magsaysay Award, two Grammy Awards, Fukuoka Grand Prize from Japan, and the Crystal Award from Davos. In 1999, Ravi Shankar was awarded with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament, from 1986 to 1992.

MS Subbulakshmi Biography

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MS Subbulakshmi Biography

Born: September 16, 1916
Died: December 11, 2004
Achievements: Famous for rendering devotional songs; called as Nightingale of India; recipient of Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Ramon Magsaysay Award, and Bharat Ratna

MS Subbulakshmi was a legendary Carnatic musician. She was popularly known as Nightingale of India. Her rendering of bhajans (devotional songs) was divine and used to enthrall and transfix listeners, and transport them into a different world

MS Subbulakshmi (Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi) was born as Kunjamma in the temple city of Madurai on September 16, 1916. She was born into a family of musicians. Her grandmother Akkammal played the violin and her mother was a veena artist.

MS Subbulakshmi started learning Carnatic music from a very early age. She made her debut as a singer at the age of eight and went on to perform in concerts, a domain traditionally reserved for males. She began her Carnatic classical music training under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and then Hindustani classical training under Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas.

By the age of 17, Subbulakshmi was giving concerts on her own, including major performances at the Madras Music Academy, the prestigious center for the study and promotion of Carnatic music. In 1940, she married T. Sadasivam, a freedom fighter, and a follower of Rajaji. He played a key role in advancing her career.

She also acted in a few Tamil films in her youth. Her first movie "Sevasadanam" was released in 1938. MS Subbulakshmi also played the male role of Narada in "Savitri" (1941) to raise money for launching Kalki, her husband's nationalist Tamil weekly. Her title role of the Rajasthani saint-poetess Meera in the eponymous film (1945) gave her national prominence. This movie was re-made in Hindi in 1947. The movie had M.S Subbulakshmi. sing the famous Meera bhajans, with Dilipkumar Roy as the music director. Those renditions by M.S. continue to haunt listeners to this day. Following the success of the film she quit films and turned wholly to concert music.

MS Subbulakshmi traveled to London, New York, Canada, the Far East, and other places as India's cultural ambassador. Her concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York; the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966; the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1982; and at the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987 were significant landmarks in her career.

MS Subbulakshmi received many honours and awards. These include Padma Bhushan in 1954, Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1968 (She was the first woman recipient of the title), Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974, the Padma Vibhushan in 1975, the Kalidasa Samman in 1988, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1990, and the Bharat Ratna in 1998. She was also honored as the court-singer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

After the death of her husband Sadasivam in 1997, MS Subbulakshmi stopped all her public performances. She had no children. MS Subbulakshmi died on December 11, 2004 after a brief illness.

Pandit Jasraj Profile

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Pandit Jasraj Profile

Born: 1930
Achievement: Foremost exponent of Mewati gharana; Recipient of Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru , Sangeet Martand , Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award , Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar , and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

Pandit Jasraj is one of India's premier classical vocalists and the foremost exponent of Mewati Gharana.

Pandit Jasraj was born in 1930 to a musical family. At the age of six Pandit Jasraj was mesmerized by the soulful voice of the famous ghazal singer Begum Akhtar. He was initiated into vocal music by his father Pandit Motiramji. However, after the sudden demise of his father, Pandit Jasraj opted for the tabla under the training of Pandit Pratapnarayan, as an additional means of livelihood in order to lighten the burden of family responsibilities.

But, at the age of fourteen as a rebellion against the humiliating treatment given to accompanying artists, young Jasraj vowed never to be an accompanist, and decided to sing. He took his vocal training under the guidance of his elder brother Pandit Muniram and Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela.

Pandit Jasraj is blessed with a rich, soulful and sonorous voice which traverses effortlessly over all three and a half octaves. The highlight of Pandit Jasraj's vocalizing is his perfect diction, clarity in sur and extreme tunefulness. Pandit Jasraj's greatest contribution to Indian music is his conception of an unique and novel jugalbandhi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time.

Pandit Jasraj is the recipient of several honors and awards. These include Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru , Sangeet Martand , Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award , Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar , and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

Hariprasad Chaurasia Profile

2007-09-05T13:53:00.000+05:30

Hariprasad Chaurasia Profile

Born: July 1, 1938
Achievement: Noted flute player; recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhusan.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, is a world-renowned exponent of the bansuri or bamboo flute. He is one of those rare classical musicians who expanded the peripheries of classical music by taking it to the common masses.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was born on July 1, 1938 at Allahabad in a non-musical family. His father was a wrestler and wanted him to become one. Scared of his father, Hari Prasad Chaurasia learnt music secretly. At the age of 15, he started learning vocal music from Pandit Rajaram. After some time, he switched to learning flute under the guidance of Pt. Bholanath of Varanasi. Later on, while working for All India Radio, he received guidance from the reclusive Annapurna Devi (daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan).

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has introduced several innovations in the art of playing flute. He has significantly expanded the expressive possibilities of North Indian classical flute through his masterful blowing technique. Hariprasad Chaurasia has also made his mark as music director in the Hindi film industry. In partnership with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, he has given music in several hit Hindi films such as "Silsila", "Chandni", and "Lamhe".

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has won several honors and awards. These include: Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1984), Padma Bhushan (1992), and Padma Vibhusan (2000).

Bismillah Khan Profile

2007-09-05T13:52:00.000+05:30

Bismillah Khan Profile

Born: March 21, 1916
Died: August 21, 2006

Achievement: Brought shehnai to the center stage of Indian classical music; Became the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

The legendary shehnai player, Ustad Bismillah Khan was one of India's most celebrated classical musicians. Bismillah Khan has been credited with taking the shehnai from the marriage mandap to the concert hall.

Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916 at Dumraon, Bihar. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar. Ustad Bismillah Khan was trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple.

Ustad Bismillah Khan brought Shehnai to the center stage of Indian classical music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He had the honor of performing at Delhi's Red Fort on the occasion of India's Independence on August 15, 1947. Bismillah Khan mesmerized everyone with his heart-touching rendering of Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India's first Republic Day ceremony, on January 26, 1950.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was an icon of the composite culture of India. He was a worshipper of both Allah and Saraswati. Ustad Bismillah was greatly attached to the city of Varanasi and the river Ganga. Once, a rich American university invited Bismillah to be their musician-in-residence, and asked him to state his terms. Bismillah Khan replied, he would only come if he could bring his beloved Ganga with him. Ustad Bismillah Khan performed in various parts of the world. He performed in Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, USA, USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city across the world.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was a recipient of many honors and awards. These include: Padma Vibhushan (1980), Padma Bhushan (1968), Padma Shri (1961), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1956), and Tansen Award by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan became the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

Ustad Bismillah Khan died on August 21, 2006 due to cardiac arrest.

Birju Maharaj Profile

2007-09-05T13:51:00.000+05:30

Birju Maharaj Profile

Born: February 4, 1937
Achievement: Well-known exponent of Kathak; Recipient of Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Padma Vibhushan, Kalidas Samman, Soviet Land Nehru Award, SNA Award, Sangam Kala Award.

Pandit Birju Maharaj is a legendary Kathak dancer. He belongs an illustrious family of dance masters of the Lucknow gharana. His two uncles Shambu and Lacchu Maharaj, and his father Acchan Maharaj were all well-known Kathak dancers. Apart from Kathak, Pandit Birju Maharaj is also an accomplished vocalist.

Pandit Birju Maharaj alias Brij Mohan Nath Mishra was born on February 4, 1937. He took training in Kathak under the guidance of his father, Achchan Maharaj and uncles Lacchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj. Birju Maharaj gave his first performance at the young age of seven at Lucknow and after that there was no looking back.

Birju Maharaj is a multi-faceted personality. Besides his mastery over Kathak, he is also a superb musician, percussionist, composer, teacher, director, choreographer and a poet. Birju Maharaj has composed many dance dramas like 'Gobardhan Leela', 'Makhan Chori', 'Malti-Madhav', 'Kumar Sambhav', and 'Phag Bahar'. Birju Maharaj has also dabbled in films. He composed two classical dance sequence for Satyajit Ray's film 'Shatranj Ke Khiladi' and choreographed a song for Sanjay Leela Bhansal's film 'Devdas'.

Birju Maharaj is a recipient of several honors and awards. These include: Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Padma Vibhushan, Kalidas Samman, Soviet Land Nehru Award, SNA Award, Sangam Kala Award etc. He was also conferred with two honorary doctorate degrees and the Nehru Fellowship.

Birju Maharaj taught at Sangeet Bharati, Bharatiya Kala Kendra and headed the teaching faculty Kathak Kendra in Delhi till his retirement in 1998.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

2007-09-05T13:49:00.000+05:30

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Born: 1945
Achievement: Noted sarod player; Recipient of Padmashree and Padma Bhushan.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is a noted sarod player and one of the foremost classical musicians.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was born at Gwalior Madhya Pradesh in 1945. He belongs to the illustrious Bangash lineage rooted in the Senia Bangash School of music and is the sixth generation sarod player in his family. Amjad Ali Khan learnt Sarod under his father Haafiz Ali Khan's tutelage, who was a musician to the royal family of Gwalior.

Amjad Ali Khan gave his first solo recital at the age of 12 in 1958. He has developed a unique style of playing the sarod. The key innovations in his style are compositions based on vocal music, the technical ability to play highly complex phrases (ekhara taans) on the sarod spanning three octaves and the emphasis on simple and elegant compositions. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has simplified the instrument by removing some strings (his sarod has only two jod and chikari strings and 11 tarab stings) and has also removed the resonant gourd (tumba) which is in use by other sarod schools.

In 1977, Amjad Ali Khan founded the Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Memorial Society which organises concerts and bestows an annual Hafiz Ali Khan award on outstanding classical musicians in India and aboard.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has performed in different parts of the world. He has performed at the WOMAD Festival in Adelaide and New Plymouth, Taranaki in New Zealand, WOMAD Rivermead Festival in UK, Edinburgh Music Festival, World Beat Festival in Brisbane, Summer Arts Festival in Seattle, BBC Proms, International Poets Festival in Rome, Shiraz Festival, UNESCO, and Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is the recipient of many awards and honours. These include: Padmashree (1975), Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1989), the Tansen Award (1989) the Padma Bhushan (1991) and the International Music Forum Award, UNESCO in 1970.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

2007-09-05T13:47:00.000+05:30

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Born: April 14, 1922
Achievement: Popularised Indian classical music in the West; Recipient of the Asian Paints Shiromani Award.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is one of the most accomplished Indian classical musicians. He is admired all over the world for his brilliant compositions and his mastery of the sarode. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is considered by many as the "Indian Johann Sebastian Bach."

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was born on April 14, 1922 in East Bengal (Bangladesh). His family traces its gharana (ancestral tradition) to Mian Tansen, a 16th century musical genius and court musician of Emperor Akbar. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's father, the late Padma Vibhusan Acharya Dr. Allauddin Khan, was regarded as the greatest figure in North Indian music in 20th century.

Ali Akbar Khan started learning music from the age of three. He learnt vocal music from his father and drums from his uncle, Fakir Aftabuddin. Ali Akbar Khan learnt several other musical instruments too but finally decided to concentrate on the sarode and on vocal.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan gave his first public performance in Allahabad at the age of thirteen. In his early twenties, Ali Akbar Khan made his first recording in Lucknow for the HMV label, and the next year, he became the court musician to the Maharaja of Jodhpur. He worked there for seven years and the state of Jodhpur bestowed upon him the title of Ustad. Several years later Ustad Ali Akbar Khan received the title of Hathi Saropao and Dowari Tajeem at the Jodhpur Palace's Golden Jubilee Celebraton in 1993.

Ali Akbar Khan first visited the United States in 1955 on the request of Lord Menuhin and gave a memorable concert at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan played a major role in popularizing Indian classical music in the US. He founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in Calcutta, India, in 1956. He began teaching in America in 1965. Later, he founded the Ali Akbar College of Music in Marin County, California.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan has given music in several films. These include: "Aandhiyan" by Chetan Anand (1953), "House Holder" by Ivory/Merchant, "Khudita Pashan" for which he won the "Best Musician of the Year" award, "Devi" by Satyajit Ray, and "Little Buddha" by Bernardo Bertolucci.

In 1997, Ali Akbar Khan was chosen for the Asian Paints Shiromani Award - Hall of Fame. He was the second recipient of the award after Satyajit Ray.

Presently, he lives in USA and teaches Indian classical music.

MF Hussain Profile

2007-09-05T13:44:00.001+05:30

MF Hussain Profile

Born: September 17, 1915
Achievement: World famous painter; Recipient of Padma Shree

One can love MF Hussain or one can hate MF Hussain but one cannot ignore him. MF Husain is always in the news because of one controversy or the other. Maqbool Fida Hussain (MF Hussain ) is a world famous painter and an icon among Indian artists.

MF Hussain was born on September 17, 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. He lost his mother when he was one and a half years old. Husain's father remarried and moved to Indoor. MF Hussain did his schooling from Indore. In 1935, MF Hussain moved to Bombay and joined Sir J. J. School of Art.

He started off by painting cinema hoardings. He first came into limelight as painter in the late 1940s. In 1952, MF Hussain's first solo exhibition was held at Zurich and soon he became popular in Europe and USA. He went on to become one of the highest paid painters in India. His paintings have fetched millions of dollars at the auction.

In 1966, MF Hussain was honored with Padma Shree by the Government of India. In 1967, MF Hussain made his first film "Through the Eyes of a Painter". The film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear. He has also made two Hindi movies, "Gaja Gamini" and "Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities."

MF Hussain also had his share of controversies. Many a times he has been charged with hurting sentiments of people because of his nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses. But he continues to enthrall people with his peerless artistry.

Jamini Roy Biography

2007-09-05T13:40:00.001+05:30

Jamini Roy Biography

Born: 1887
Died: 1972
Achievements: Developed a personal painting style inspired largely by traditional Indian folk and village arts, particularly those of Bengal. Through his paintings he gave expression to the scenes of everyday life of the people of rural Bengal

Jamini Roy was one of the most significant and influential painters of the 20th century. He was born in a middle-class family in 1887 at Beliator village in Bankura district of Bengal. His father Ramataran Roy was an amateur artist who, after resignation from government service, spent the rest of his life in his village amidst the potters.

In 1903, at the age of sixteen, Jamini Roy came to Calcutta and studied at the Government School of Art. He learnt academic methods then in vogue in the West, and achieved his early fame as a portrait painter in the European tradition. However, soon Jamini Roy cultivated a personal painting style inspired largely by traditional Indian folk and village arts, particularly those of Bengal. Jamini Roy, through his oil paintings, gave expression to the scenes of every-day life of the people of rural Bengal.

For his paintings, Jamini Roy selected themes from joys and sorrows of everyday life of rural Bengal, religious theme like-Ramayana, Sri Chaitanya, Radha-Krishna and Jesus Christ, but he depicted them without narratives. Apart from this he painted scenes form the lives of the aboriginal Santhals, such as 'Santhals engaged in drum-beating' 'Santhal Mother and Child' 'Dancing Santhals' etc.

In his career as an artist Jamini Roy earned fame by evolving his own language of painting which he termed as 'Flat Technique'. Jamini Roy used cheap indigenous pigments for his art to make them within the reach of the affluent as well as the poor. Like the pata-painters of Bengal he proposed his own paintings from indigenous materials like lampblack, chalk-powder, leaves and creepers.

The exposition of Jamini Roy's works were first held in British India Street (Calcutta) in 1938. Jamini Roy's pictures become very popular during the 1940s and clientele included both the Bengali middle class and European community. In 1946, his work was exhibited in London and in 1953 in New York.

Jamini Roy was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1955. He died in 1972 in Calcutta.

Some of his famous paintings are:

Santhal Boy with Drum
Cats Sharing a Prawn
St. Ann and the Blessed Virgin
Makara
Cats Plus
Seated Woman in Sari
Krishna And Radha Dancing
Kitten
Virgin And Child
Crucifixion with Attendant Angels
Ravana, Sita And Jatayu
Warrior King
Krishna with Gopis in Boat
Krishna and Balarama

Amrita Shergill Biography

2007-09-05T13:39:00.000+05:30

Amrita Shergill Biography

Vijay Mallya

2007-09-05T13:24:00.000+05:30

Vijay Mallya

Achievement: Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group; Launched a new domestic airline called Kingfisher Airline; Rajya Sabha M.P.

Vijay Mallya is the Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group. He recently launched a new domestic airline called Kingfisher Airline which is making great waves. Vijay Mallya is famous for his flamboyant and flashy lifestyle.

Vijay Mallya is the son of a famous industrialist Vittal Mallya. He assumed the Chairman of the UB Group in 1983 and took the company to great heights. Under his dynamic leadership the group has grown into a multi-national conglomerate of over sixty companies. During this process United Beverages acquired several companies abroad. The UB Group has diversified business interests ranging from alcoholic beverages to life sciences, engineering, agriculture, chemicals, information technology and leisure.

In 2005, Vijay Mallya established Kingfisher Airlines. In a short span of time Kingfisher Airline has carved a niche for itself. It was the first airline in India to operate with all new aircrafts. Kingfisher Airlines is also the first Indian airline to order the Airbus A380.

Vijay Mallya has other interests too apart from business. He has won trophies in professional car racing circuits and is a keen yachtsman and aviator. Vijay Mallya has also won numerous trophies in horse racing including several prestigious Derbies.

In 2000, Vijay Mallya entered politics superceded Subramaniam Swamy as the president of Janata Party. Presently, he is a Rajya Sabha M.P.

Subroto Roy

2007-09-05T13:23:00.001+05:30

Subroto Roy

Achievement: Chairman of the Sahara Group

Subroto Roy, is the head of the $10bn (£5.5bn) Sahara Group. Sahara Group has interests in banking, aviation, media and housing.

Subroto Roy began his journey in 1978, when he founded Sahara in 1978 with three workers in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh as a small deposits para-banking business. Today, the group has diversified into a giant business conglomerate with interests in housing, entertainment, media and aviation.

Sahara Group presently runs a private airline, entertainment and news television channels, a newspaper, and claims to own some 33,000 acres of real estate across India. It also sponsors the Indian cricket and hockey teams and intends to move into life insurance, housing finance, consumer products, sportswear, and healthcare.

Sahara Group has come up with one of the most prestigious real estate projects in India, namely Amby Valley Project. The project boasts some of the biggest name in Indian entertainment and sports arena as well as some former international Olympic medal winners as its brand ambassadors. Sahara Airline was recently in news for its merger with Jet Airlines. But the deal fell through.

Sahara Group has a huge complex in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The complex is known as Sahara City. Subrato Roy is famous for his flamboyant lifestyle. The wedding of his two sons became talk of the town. The who's who of Indian elite attended it and its expenditure ran into hundreds of crores. Subroto Roy calls himself as the group's "chief guardian".

Ratan Tata Profile

2007-09-05T13:22:00.001+05:30

Ratan Tata Profile

Born: December 28, 1937
Achievement: Honored with Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in 2000.

Ratan Tata is presently the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. Ratan Naval Tata is also the Chairman of the major Tata companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Tea, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices. He has taken Tata Group to new heights and under his leadership Group's revenues have grown manifold.

Ratan Tata was born on December 28, 1937, in Bombay. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1962. Ratan Tata had a short stint with Jones and Emmons in Los Angeles, California, before returning to India in late 1962. He joined the Tata Group and was assigned to various companies before being appointed director-in-charge of The National Radio & Electronics Company (NELCO) in 1971. Ratan Tata was appointed Chairman of Tata Industries in 1981. He was assigned the task of transforming the company into a Group strategy think-tank, and a promoter of new ventures in high technology businesses.

In 1991, Ratan Tata took over the Chairmanship from JRD Tata. Under him Tata Consultancy Services went public and Tata Motors was listed in the New York Stock Exchange. In 1998, Tata Motors came up with Tata Indica, the first truly Indian car. The car was the brainchild of Ratan Tata.

Ratan Tata was honored with Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in 2000. He was also conferred an honorary doctorate in business administration by Ohio State University, an honorary doctorate in technology by the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, and an honorary doctorate in science by the University of Warwick.

Rahul Bajaj Profile

2007-09-05T13:20:00.000+05:30

Rahul Bajaj Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Bajaj Group

Rahul Bajaj is the Chairman of the Bajaj Group, which ranks among the top 10 business houses in India. The Bajaj Group has diversified interests ranging from automobiles, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. Rahul Bajaj is one of India's most distinguished business leaders and internationally respected for his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit.

Rahul Bajaj is an alumnus of Harvard, St. Stephen's and Cathedral. He took over the reins of Bajaj Group in 1965. Under his stewardship, the turnover of the Bajaj Auto the flagship company has risen from Rs.72 million to Rs.46.16 billion. Rahul Bajaj created one of India's best companies in the difficult days of the licence-permit raj. He established factories at Akurdi and Waluj. In 1980s Bajaj Auto was top scooter producer in India and its Chetak brand had a 10-year waiting period.

The initiation of liberalization in India posed great challenges for Bajaj Auto. Liberalisation brought the threat of cheap imports and FDI from top companies like Honda. Rahul Bajaj became famous as the head of the Bombay Club, which opposed liberalization. The scooter sails plummeted as people were more interested in motorcycles and the rival Hero Honda was a pioneer in it.

The recession and stock market collapse of 2001 hit the company hard and it was predicted that the days of Bajaj Auto were numbered. However, Bajaj Auto re-invented itself, established a world-class factory in Chakan, invested in R&D and came up with Bajaj Pulsar Motorcycle. Bajaj Pulsar is currently a leader in its segment.

Recently, Rahul Bajaj was elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

Mukesh Ambani Profile

2007-09-05T13:19:00.001+05:30

Mukesh Ambani Profile

Born: April 19, 1957
Achievement: Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company; Chosen as ET Business Leader of the Year 2006; Ranked 42nd among the World's Most Respected Business Leaders and second among the four Indian CEOs featured in a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published in Financial Times, London, November 2004.

Mukesh Ambani is the face of new emerging India. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company.

Mukesh Ambani was born on April 19, 1957 in Mumbai. His father Dhirubhai Ambani was then a small businessman who later on rose to become one of the legends of Indian industry. Mukesh Ambani did his Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from University of Bombay and Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University, USA.

Mukesh Ambani joined Reliance in 1981 and was the brain behind Reliance's backward integration from textiles into polyester fibres and further into petrochemicals. During the process of backward integration, Mukesh Ambani led the creation of 51 new, world-class manufacturing facilities involving diverse technologies that raised Reliance's manufacturing capacities manifold.

World's largest grassroots petroleum refinery at Jamnagar is the brainchild of Mukesh Ambani. He was also the incharge of Dhirubhai's dream project Reliance Infocomm. But after the split in the Reliance Empire, Reliance Infocomm went to his brother Anil Ambani. Mukesh Ambani is now planning to enter retail sector in a big way. He has plans to establish big retail stores all over the country. Recently, he also entered into an agreement with Haryana Government to establish a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an investment running into thousands of crores.

Mukesh Ambani has many achievements and honours to his name. Mukesh Ambani was chosen as the ET Business leader of the Year 2006. He was ranked 42nd among the World's Most Respected Business Leaders and second among the four Indian CEOs featured in a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published in Financial Times, London, November 2004. He was conferred the World Communication Award for the Most Influential Person in Telecommunications in 2004 by Total Telecom, October, 2004. Mukesh Ambani was also conferred the Asia Society Leadership Award by the Asia Society, Washington D.C., USA,

M.S. Oberoi Profile

2007-09-05T13:18:00.001+05:30

M.S. Oberoi Profile

Born: August 15, 1898
Achievement: Founder of the Oberoi Group of Hotels; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001.

M.S. Oberoi can be aptly termed as the father of the Indian hotel industry. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi was among the first to recognize the potential of the tourism industry, its ability to contribute to India's economic growth and generate direct and indirect employment. He worked tirelessly to put Indian hotel industry on global tourism map.

M.S. Oberoi was born on August 15, 1898, in the erstwhile undivided Punjab, now in Pakistan. He did his early schooling in Rawalpindi and completed his graduation from Lahore. In 1922, to escape the epidemic of Plague, he came to Shimla, and got a job of front desk clerk, at The Cecil Hotel at a salary of Rs 50 per month.

M.S. Oberoi was a quick learner and shouldered many additional responsibilities along with the job of desk clerk. M. S. Oberoi's diligence prompted Mr. Clarke to request Mohan Singh Oberoi to assist him when he acquired Clarkes Hotel. At the Clarkes Hotel, M.S. Oberoi gained first hand experience in all aspects of hotel operations.

In 1934, M.S. Oberoi acquired The Clarkes Hotel from his mentor, by mortgaging his wife's jewelry and all his assets. In 1938, he signed a lease to takeover operations of the five hundred room Grand Hotel in Calcutta, which was up for sale following a cholera epidemic.

In 1943, Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, acquired the controlling interest in the Associated Hotels of India (AHI) which owned the Cecil, and Corstophans in Shimla, the Maidens and the Imperial in Delhi, and a hotel each in Lahore, Murree, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. He thus became the first Indian to run the largest and finest hotel chain.

In 1959, The Oberoi Group became the first group to start flight catering operations in India. In 1965, M.S. Oberoi opened the first modern, five star international hotel in the country, The Oberoi Intercontinental, in Delhi. In 1966 he established the prestigious Oberoi School of Hotel Management, recognized by the International Hotel Association in Paris. In 1973, The Oberoi Group opened the 35 storey Oberoi Sheraton in Mumbai. Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi was the first to employ women in the hospitality sector.

Today, The Oberoi Group owns or manages 37 luxury and first class international hotels in seven countries.

M.S. Oberoi was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962 and in 1972. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha in 1968.

M.S. Oberoi was recipient of many awards and honours. In 1943, he was conferred the title of Rai Bahadur by the British Government. Other honors include admission to the Hall of Fame by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); Man of The World by the International Hotel Association (IHA) New York; named by Newsweek as one of the "Elite Winners of 1978" and the PHDCCI Millennium award in 2000. M.S. Oberoi was honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001.

M.S. Oberoi passed away on May 3, 2002 at the age of 103.

Lalit Suri Profile

2007-09-05T13:16:00.000+05:30

Lalit Suri Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Bharat Hotels chain and the single largest hotel owner.

Lalit Suri can be called as the uncrowned hotel king of India. He is the Chairman of the Bharat Hotels chain and is the single-largest hotel owner with over 1600 rooms. Bharat Hotels chain comprises seven hotels which include the flagship InterContinental The Grand in Delhi, and six Grand hotels in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Srinagar, Udaipur and Khajuraho.

Lalit Suri is an alumnus of St Columbus and Sri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi. He represented both his school and college in swimming and athletics at the state level. Lalit Suri was trained as an automobile engineer and started his career manufacturing vehicle bodies. He commissioned his first hotel in Delhi in 1988. Since then there has been no looking back.

In the last few years Bharat Hotels has invested Rs 500 crore on its properties in Mumbai and Goa. In addition, the group has spent Rs 42 crore on a 30-year lease on the former Bangalore Ashok, and a further Rs 40 crore on renovations. Lalit Suri is currently on an expansion mode. Sites for hotels have been identified and negotiated in Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, while search is on for the right locations in Chennai and Hyderabad. In the first phase hotels will be constructed in Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur adding 400-600 rooms to the Grand chain, while the next phase in Chennai, and Hyderabad) will take the tally up by another 500 five-star deluxe rooms.

Apart from a successful businessman, Lalit Suri is also an avid traveler and an art lover. Presently, he is also a Rajya Sabha MP.

Kumar Mangalam Birla Profile

2007-09-05T13:15:00.000+05:30

Kumar Mangalam Birla Profile

Born: June 14, 1967
Achievement: Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group; Vhosen as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year - India in 2005

Kumar Mangalam Birla is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. The group is India's third largest business house. Major companies of Aditya Birla Group in India are Grasim, Hindalco, UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Nuvo and Idea Cellular. Aditya Birla Group's joint ventures include Birla Sun Life (Financial Services) and Birla NGK (Insulators). The group also has its presence in various countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Egypt, Canada, China and Australia.

Born on June 14, 1967, Kumar Mangalam Birla spent the early of his life in Calcutta and Mumbai. He is a Chartered Accountant and did his MBA (Masters in Business Administration) from the London Business School, London. Kumar Mangalam Birla took over as Chairman in 1995, at the age of 28, after sudden demise of his father, noted industrialist Aditya Birla, after whom the group is named.

When Kumar Mangalam Birla assumed the mantle at the Aditya Birla Group, Doubts were raised about his ability to handle a giant business house with interests spanning viscose, textiles and garments on the one hand and cement, aluminium and fertilisers on the other. But Kumar Mangalam proved his skeptics wrong. He brought in radical changes, changed business strategies, professionalised the entire group and replaced internal systems. Kumar Mangalam reduced his group's dependence on the cyclic commodities sectors by entering consumer products.

Under Kumar Mangalam Birla's leadership, the Aditya Birla Group, apart from consolidating its position in existing businesses, also ventured into sunrise sectors like cellular telephony, asset management, software and BPO.

Kumar Mangalam Birla also holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional boards, including chairmanship of the advisory committee constituted by the ministry of company affairs for 2006 and 2007, membership of the prime minister of India's advisory council on trade and industry, chairmanship of the board of trade reconstituted by the union minister of commerce and industry, and membership of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India.

Kumar Mangalam Birla has won several honors. Major among them include The Business Leader of the Year (2003) by The Economic Times, Business Man of the Year - 2003 by Business India, and The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year - India in 2005.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Profile

2007-09-05T13:14:00.000+05:30

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Profile

Born: March 23, 1953
Achievement: Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd; Felicitated with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, India's biggest biotechnology company. In 2004, she became India's richest woman.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was born on March 23, 1953 in Bangalore. She had her schooling at Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College at Bangalore. After doing completing her B.Sc. in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973, she went to Ballarat University in Melbourne, Australia and qualified as a master brewer.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Ireland. In the same year, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon India in collaboration with Biocon Biochemicals Limited, with a capital of Rs.10,000. She initially faced many problems regarding funds for her business. Banks were hesitant to give loan to her as biotechnology was a totally new field at that point of time and she was a woman entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon.

Biocon's initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Under Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's stewardship Biocon transformed from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Today, Biocon is recognised as India's pioneering biotech enterprise. In 2004, Biocon came up with an IPO and the issue was over-subscribed by over 30 times. Post-IPO, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw held close to 40% of the stock of the company and was regarded as India's richest woman with an estimated worth of Rs. 2,100 crore.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards. These include ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Government of India also felicitated her with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

Karsanbhai Patel Profile

2007-09-05T13:12:00.000+05:30

Karsanbhai Patel Profile

Achievement: Man behind the hugely successful brand, Nirma.

Karsanbhai Patel is the man behind the hugely successful brand, Nirma. His' is a legendary rags to riches journey during which he shattered established business theories and rewrote new ones.

Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel (K.K. Patel) came from a humble farmer family from Mehsana, Gujarat. He worked as Lab Assistant in the Geology and Mining Department of the Government of Gujarat. In 1969, at the age of 25, Karsan Bhai Patel started a small-scale enterprise. He offered a quality detergent powder, using indigenous technology, at a third of the prevailing price, without compromising on the product. Karsanbhai named the detergent powder Nirma after daughter Nirupama.

At that time domestic detergent market was limited only to premium segment and was dominated by MNCs. Karsanbhai Patel started door-to-door selling of Nirma and priced it at Rs. 3 per kg. The next available cheapest brand in the market at that time was Rs.13 per kg. Nirma revolutionized the whole detergent powder segment and in a short span of time created an entirely new market segment in the domestic detergent sector market. It gave the bigger established brands a run for their money and soon occupied the top market share. To add to all this, Nirma was made of an innovative formulation, which global detergent giants were later on compelled to emulate, it was phosphate free and hence environment friendly, and the process of manufacturing was labour intensive, which offered large scale employment.

Karsanbhai notched up one success after another. After establishing its leadership in economy-priced detergents, Nirma foray into the premium brand segment, in cakes and detergents was equally successful. It built up a 30% market share in the premium detergent segment and achieved a greater than 20% share in the premium soaps market.

Karsanbhai Patel has won many accolades on his way to success. The Federation of Association of Small Scale Industries of India, New Delhi, awarded him with the 'Udyog Ratna'. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce felicitated him as an 'Outstanding Industrialist of the Eighties'. The Govt. of India twice appointed him Chairman of the Development Council for Oils, Soaps & Detergents.