02 March - Sarojini Naidu death anniversary

 

Sarojini Naidu: Sarojini Naida was born in a Bengali family in Hyderabdad on 13th February, 1879. She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and also the first woman governor to become the governor of a state in India.

She was also a renowned poet and was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of India). Sarojini Naidu was a prominent figure during India’s Independence Movement and was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s Swaraj ideology.

Naidu died of cardiac arrest at 3:30 p.m. (IST) on 2 March 1949 at the Government House in Lucknow. Upon her return from New Delhi on 15 February, she was advised to rest by her doctors, and all official engagements were canceled. Her health deteriorated substantially and bloodletting was performed on the night of 1 March after she complained of severe headache. She collapsed following a fit of cough. Naidu was said to have asked the nurse attending to her to sing to her at about 10:40 p.m. (IST) which put her to sleep.She subsequently died, and her last rites were performed at the Gomati River.

Few notable and interesting facts related to Sarojini Naidu

•     At a tender age of 12, she wrote a play called “Maher Muneer”. Her work gained immense popularity and also impressed Nawab of Hyderabad. She gained worldwide popularity for her play.

•     Sarojini Naidu’s father wanted her to become a scientist or mathematician but she was more inclined towards poetry and writing

•     At a very young age, she wrote a poem ‘The Lady of the Lake’ which consists of 1300 lines.

•     Sarojini Naidu married Padipati Govindarajulu Naidu at the age of 19 in 1898.

•     She was awarded with Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for her work during the plague epidemic in India by the British government.