The latest Google Doodle paid tribute to social reformer Savitribai Phule on the occasion of her 186th birth anniversary on Tuesday.
The doodle that showcases Savitribai embracing her surroundings, indicative of the social work she undertook during her lifetime.
Clicking on the doodle further displays some of the important events in the life of Savitribai, created by Muscat/Mumbai-based illustrator and graphic designer Malvika Asher.
Having many firsts to her credit — Savitribai along with her husband Jyotirao Phule played an important role in improving women’s rights during the British rule.
A pioneer in Marathi poetry, the reformer was a trailblazer in providing education for girls and for ostracised portions of society.
Savitribai became the first woman teacher in India and taught in the school which she and her husband, Jyotirao Phule, started in 1848 with just nine students on the rolls.
The couple were felicitated by the colonial government of Bombay Presidency in 1850s for providing education to girls and untouchables during those days.
Often referred to as the mother of Indian feminism, she went on to establish a shelter in 1864 for destitute women and played a crucial role in grooming her husband’s pioneering institution, Satyashodhak Samaj, that fought for equality of all classes.
She also penned many poems against discrimination and encouraged people to get educated. Her books Kavya Phule (1934) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1982) were published posthumously.