बॉलीवुड के एवरग्रीन अभिनेता देवानंद का केवल नाम ही नहीं बल्कि जीवन भी भगवान श्री कृष्ण जैसा ही था। उनकी कहानी में भी उनका विवाह तो किसी और के साथ हुआ लेकिन आज तक उन्हें याद उनकी प्रेम कहानी के लिए किया जाता है। जिनके पीछे हज़ारों लड़किया पागल थी और जिनका हर रूप लोगों को बेहद पसंद था।

बॉलीवुड के किशन कन्हैया

जवाहरलाल नेहरू नहीं, देश के पहले प्रधानमंत्री सुभाष चंद्र बोस थे और देश के प्रधानमंत्री ने पहला झंडा लाल किले पर नहीं बल्कि पोर्ट ब्लेयर में फहराया था। वो साल भी अलग था, वो सरकार भी अलग थी, वो हालात भी अलग थे और वो झंडा भी।

पोर्ट ब्लेयर में देश का झंडा

In the lower part of Assam, there lies a small, sleepy village, where the only sounds you will be greeted with are the rhythms of weaving looms and flying shuttles. And yet this village is far from ordinary. Since time immemorial, this place has been hitting more than a few headlines on the global platform for its unique craft.

The Village that creates magic with Silk

The idea of an overseas ice business before the invention of refrigeration may seem like an impossible feat. But in the early 19th century, a young American man, Frederic Tudor, thought of launching a highly daring entrepreneurial project that involved exporting ice to India.

HOW FREDERIC TUDOR BROUGHT ICE TO INDIA

“Health is wealth”, is a cliche that holds great relevance. Organised by the WHO, this day is celebrated to increase awareness about diseases and show gratitude towards healthcare workers.

A Day the World Needs...

“It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”

A Home for You and Me

Every year, during the month of Ahar (June), thousands of devotees, flock to the temple premises of Maa Kamakhya, to celebrate the menstruation of the Goddess. The Kamakhya temple, with its unique ritual and history, continues to intrigue people from all over the world. In our story, we are going to narrate a popular legend behind the origin of the Goddess Kamakhya, and its connection with the peculiar ritual of Ambubachi, celebrated in the temple every year.

From the world of Religion and Spirituality

The Tale of the Bleeding Goddess

Indira Gandhi decided to renew INC's identity in 1978, post the much-criticised Emergency. She gave them the Palm of Hand on February 3, 1978, which is in use till date

Palm of Hand – The Story of the Congress Symbol

Queen Victoria, known for declaring Crown control over India in the aftermath of the 1857 mutiny, and ruling over the land with strict control, passed away today in 1901. 

The First Empress of India

War not only affects the soldiers, their families, friends and the civilians in the crossfire. For it has many ripples, some bigger than others, and some, while still small, quite consequential for the lives of those who suffer.

One such woman was Sarla Thakral, born in 1914. Her life would take a turn for the worse in a war, however, her journey before that must be told. She would be renowned in India as the first woman to acquire an “A” grade pilot’s licence in 1936 - accumulating 1000 hours of flying!

Her preferred aircraft was a de Havilland Gypsy Moth, a tough biplane built in the 1920s, favoured for training and touring purposes. And she was not alone in this effort either. Flying had been known to Indians since some time - and her husband’s family had had 9 sons go into the field of piloting, by no means a small feat. PD Sharma would also encourage his wife, Sarla, to try her hand at flying.

PD Sharma himself was the first Indian to get an airmail pilot licence, even as her wife became the first registered woman pilot of the country. Both trained out of the Lahore Flying Club, where she could fly solo after only 8 hours of training. Thus, it came as no wonder when she earned the “A” licence at barely 21 years of age.

However, things took a turn for the worse when in 1939 her husband died in a plane crash, leaving her and the kids behind. Furthermore, as she kept trying to pursue the dreams of becoming a commercial pilot, her ambitions had been blocked by the ongoing Second World War - which threw every resource into the war effort.

Now Sarla had to crush her dreams, as she had a family to care for, and left it to join the Mayo School of art, where she would train in fine arts, and a jewellery business, which she would continue even after migrating to India during the Partition, till her death on the 15th of March 2008.

Sarla then and now; Source: Public Domain

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Sarla Thakral, the first woman in India to receive an "A" licence in piloting an aircraft solo for 1000 hours, passed away today in 2008. She could not pursue her career as a commercial pilot due to the Second World War. 

Chaitanya Rawat

The crashing of the first female pilot of India

Chaitanya Rawat

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