Every Indian child looks forward to a special day (apart from his birthday!) when he’ll be showered upon with love and wishes, with much pomp and show, and gifts and sweets! You guessed it right – it’s Children’s Day, which falls on the 14th of November, and is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru, fondly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’. On this occasion, amidst the celebrations, take some time to teach your kids these interesting facts about Jawaharlal Nehru.
* Jawaharlal Nehru was born on the 14th of November, 1889, in Allahabad, to affluent and well-known parents, Motilal Nehru and Swaruprani Thussu. He had two younger sisters, Vijaya Lakshmi and Krishna Hutheesing, who grew up to become prominent personalities as well; the former became the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly and the latter, a famous author.
* Nehru grew up in the famous Anand Bhavan, which his father bought in the year 1930 for his family’s residence. In the year 1970, Jawaharlal Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, donated Anand Bhavan to the Indian government, and it’s known as a historic house museum today.
* As a child, Nehru was very observant and thoughtful. He was homeschooled until his teenage years, after which he pursued further studies abroad. He was well-read and well-versed in many different subjects, graduating with Honours in Natural Science, and then pursuing law in London. He returned to India in 1912, practising as an advocate in Allahabad, and qualified to become a Barrister.
* In the year 1916, he married Kamala Kaul. Their daughter, Indira Gandhi, was born the next year. She would grow up to become the first (and till date, the only) female Prime Minister of India.
* Nehru had developed an interest in Indian politics right from his days as a student in Britain. Within a short time since his return to India, his interest in practising law began to dwindle; he was keener on participating in political activities. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of fighting without non-violence, and was the among the first to suggest the idea of complete independence from the British.