Google Honors 115th Birth Anniversary Of Theatre Personality, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Search engine giant Google today honoured the noted theatre artist Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay with a doodle on her 115th birth anniversary. Born on April 3, 1903, in Karnataka’s Mangalore, she was one of the popular theatre personalities in the country. She was also a social reformer and a freedom fighter. She had worked for the upliftment of socio-economic standard of Indian women. Also, a number of institutes like National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Academy, Crafts Council of India exist because of her vision.

Kamaladevi’s father, Ananthaya Dhareshwar was Mangalore’s District Collector, while her mother Girijabai was from an aristocratic family from Karnataka. She was awarded Padma Bhushan by the government in 1955. She was also the recipient of the second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan in 1987. Kamaladevi was also honoured with Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1966 for Community Leadership.

Earlier, on Saturday, the Google had dedicated its doodle to India’s first lady doctor Anandi Gopal Joshi on her 153rd birth anniversary.“In 1886, a young doctor stepped off a ship from America, eager to take up the role of a physician in charge of the female ward at Kolhapur’s Albert Edward Hospital. Not only was she India’s first female doctor, but she was only 19 years old at the time. Her name was Anandi Gopal Joshi, and her story is one of courage and perseverance,” Google wrote on its blog. Anandi was born on March 31, 1865, and was married at nine years of age. She was encouraged by her husband to continue her education. Anandi got her degree from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She returned home with an aim to open a medical college for women.