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Sarojini Naidu (''
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
'' Chattopadhyay; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist, feminist and poet. A proponent of
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
,
women's emancipation Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
, and anti-imperialistic ideas, she was an important person in India's struggle for independence from colonial rule. She was also the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress and to be appointed as governor of an Indian state ( United Provinces). Naidu's literary work as a poet earned her the sobriquet the “Nightingale of India”, or “Bharat Kokila” by Mahatma Gandhi because of colour, imagery and lyrical quality of her poetry. Born in a
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
family in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...
, Chattopadhyay was educated in
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. Following her time in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, where she worked as a
suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
, she was drawn to
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
' movement for India's independence from British rule. She became a part of the Indian nationalist movement and became a follower of
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
and his idea of
swaraj Swarāj ( sa, स्वराज, translit=Svarāja '' sva-'' "self", '' raj'' "rule") can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule". It was first used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to attain self rule from the Mughal Empire and the Adil ...
. She married Govindarajulu Naidu, a general physician in 1898. She was appointed the President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and later became the Governor of the United Provinces in 1947, becoming the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the
Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...
. Naidu's poetry includes both children's poems and others written on more serious themes including patriotism, and tragedy. Published in 1912, " In the Bazaars of Hyderabad" remains one of her most popular poems. She died of a
cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...
on 2 March 1949.


Personal life

Sarojini Naidu was born in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...
on 13 February 1879 to Aghorenath Chattopadhyay and Varada Sundari Devi. Her parental home was at
Brahmangaon Brahmangaon is a village situated in Kanaksar village in Lowhajanj Upozila of Bikrampur, now Munshiganj district in the central Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It ...
Bikrampur,
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest ...
, Bengal province (present-day in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
). Her father was a
Bengali Brahmin The Bengali Brahmins are Hindu Brahmins who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh. The Bengali Brahmins, along with Baidyas an ...
and the principal of Nizam College. He held a doctorate of Science from
Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...
. Her mother wrote poetry in Bengali. She was the eldest of the eight siblings. Her brother
Virendranath Chattopadhyay Virendranath Chattopadhyaya ( bn, বীরেন্দ্রনাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায়), alias Chatto, (31 October 1880 – 2 September 1937, Moscow), also known by his pseudonym Chatto, was a prominent Indian revolutiona ...
was a revolutionary, and another brother Harindranath was a poet, a dramatist, and an actor. Their family was well-regarded in Hyderabad. m


Education

Chattopadhyay passed her
matriculation examination A matriculation examination or matriculation exam is a university entrance examination, which is typically held towards the end of secondary school. After passing the examination, a student receives a school leaving certificate recognising academi ...
to qualify for university study, earning the highest rank, in 1891, when she was twelve. From 1895 to 1898 she studied in England, at
King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...
and then
Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college statu ...
, with a scholarship from the
Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
. In England, she met artists from the
Aesthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...
and Decadent movements. She travelled briefly in Europe.


Marriage

Chattopadhyay returned to Hyderabad in 1898. That same year, she married Govindaraju Naidu, a physician,-whom she met during her stay in England, in an inter-caste marriage which has been called "groundbreaking and scandalous". Both their families approved their marriage, which was long and harmonious. They had five children. Their daughter Padmaja also joined the
Quit India Movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...
, and she held several governmental positions in independent India.


Political career


Early oratory

Beginning in 1904, Naidu became an increasingly popular orator, promoting Indian independence and
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...
, especially women's education. Her oratory often framed arguments following the five-part rhetorical structures of
Nyaya (Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment", She addressed the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
and the Indian Social Conference in Calcutta in 1906. Her social work for flood relief earned her the
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal The Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for Public Service in India was a medal awarded by the Emperor/Empress of India between 1900 and 1947, to "any person without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex ... who shall have distinguished himself (o ...
in 1911, which she later returned in protest over the April 1919
Jallianwala Bagh massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independenc ...
. She met
Muthulakshmi Reddy Muthulakshmi Reddy (also spelled Reddi in some British Indian sources; 30 July 1886 – 22 July 1968) was an Indian medical practitioner, social reformer and Padma Bhushan award recipient. Muthulakshmi Reddy was appointed to the Madras Legisl ...
in 1909, and in 1914 she met
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, whom she credited with inspiring a new commitment to political action. She was the second woman President of the Indian National Congress and first Indian woman to preside over the INC conference . With Reddy, she helped established the
Women's Indian Association The Women's Indian Association (WIA) was founded at Adayar, Madras, in 1917 by Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Jeena Raja Dasa, and others to liberate women from the deplorable condition women suffered in socio-economic and political matters during ...
in 1917. Later that year, Naidu accompanied her colleague
Annie Besant Annie Besant ( Wood; 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women's rights activist, educationist, writer, orator, political party member and philanthropist. Regarded as a champion of human ...
, who was the president of
Home Rule League The Home Rule League (1873–1882), sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was an Irish political party which campaigned for home rule for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, until it was replaced by the Irish Parliam ...
and Women's Indian Association, to advocate
universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...
in front of the Joint Select Committee in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
.She also supported the
Lucknow Pact The Lucknow Pact was an agreement reached between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League (AIML) at a joint session of both the parties held in Lucknow in December 1916. Through the pact, the two parties agreed to allow representation t ...
, a joint Hindu–Muslim demand for British political reform, at the Madras Special Provincial Council. As a public speaker, Naidu's oratory was known for its personality and its incorporation of her poetry.


Nonviolent resistance

Naidu formed close ties with Gandhi,
Gopal Krishna Gokhale Gopal Krishna Gokhale ( �ɡoːpaːl ˈkrɪʂɳə ˈɡoːkʰleː9 May 1866 – 19 February 1915) was an Indian 'moderate' political leader and a social reformer during the Indian independence movement. Gokhale was a senior leader of the India ...
,
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
and
Sarala Devi Chaudhurani Sarala Devi Chaudhurani (born Sarala Ghosal; 9 September 1872 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian educationist and political activist, who founded Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910. This was the first national-level women's organizat ...
. After 1917, she joined Gandhi's ''
satyagraha Satyagraha ( sa, सत्याग्रह; ''satya'': "truth", ''āgraha'': "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth",' or "truth force", is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone wh ...
'' movement of nonviolent resistance against British rule. Naidu went to London in 1919 as a part of the All India Home Rule League as a part of her continued efforts to advocate for freedom from the British rule. The next year, she participated in the
non-cooperation movement The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance. In 1924, Naidu represented the Indian National Congress at the
East African Indian National Congress The Kenya Indian Congress (KIC) was a political party in Kenya. History The party was established at a meeting on 7 March 1914 as the East African Indian National Congress (EAINC), and initially aimed to represent Indian interests across British ...
. In 1925, Naidu was the first female president of the Indian National Congress. In 1927, Naidu was a founding member of the All India Women's Conference. In 1928, she travelled in the United States to promote nonviolent resistance. Naidu also presided over East African and Indian Congress' 1929 session in South Africa. In 1930, Gandhi initially did not want to permit women to join the
Salt March The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a di ...
, because it would be physically demanding with a high risk of arrest. Naidu and other female activists, including
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (3 April 1903 – 29 October 1988) was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist. She was most remembered for her contribution to the Indian independence movement; for being the driving force behind the renaissanc ...
and Khurshed Naoroji, persuaded him otherwise, and joined the march. When Gandhi was arrested on 6 April 1930, he appointed Naidu as the new leader of the campaign. The Indian National Congress decided to stay away from the First Round Table Conference that took place in London owing to the arrests. In 1931, however, Naidu and other leaders of the Congress Party participated in the Second Round Table Conference headed by
Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
Lord Irwin Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a senior British Conservative politician of the 19 ...
in the wake of the Gandhi-Irwin pact. Naidu was jailed by the British in 1932. The British jailed Naidu again in 1942 for her participation in the
Quit India Movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...
. She was imprisoned for 21 months.


Governor of United Provinces

Following India's independence from the British rule in 1947, Naidu was appointed the governor of the United Provinces (present-day
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
), making her India's first woman governor. She remained in office until her death in March 1949 (aged 70).


Writing career

Naidu began writing at the age of 12. Her play, ''Maher Muneer'', written in Persian, impressed the
Nizam The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
of Kingdom of Hyderabad. Naidu's poetry is written in english , and usually took the form of
lyric poetry Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...
in the tradition of British
Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
, which she was sometimes challenged to reconcile with her Indian nationalist politics. She was known for her vivid use of rich sensory images in her writing, and for her lush depictions of India. She was well-regarded as a poet, considered the "Indian Yeats". Her first book of poems was published in London in 1905, titled ''The Golden Threshold''. The publication was suggested by
Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...
, and bore an introduction by
Arthur Symons Arthur William Symons (28 February 186522 January 1945) was a British poet, critic and magazine editor. Life Born in Milford Haven, Wales, to Cornish parents, Symons was educated privately, spending much of his time in France and Italy. In 188 ...
. It also included a sketch of Naidu as a teenager, in a ruffled white dress, drawn by
John Butler Yeats John Butler Yeats (16 March 1839 – 3 February 1922) was an Irish artist and the father of W. B. Yeats, Lily Yeats, Elizabeth Corbett "Lolly" Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats. The National Gallery of Ireland holds a number of his portraits in oil ...
. Her second and most strongly nationalist book of poems, '' The Bird of Time'', was published in 1912. It was published in both London and New York, and includes " In the Bazaars of Hyderabad". The last book of new poems published in her lifetime, ''The Broken Wing'' (1917) was dedicated to
Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
. It includes the poem "The Gift of India", critiquing the British empire's exploitation of Indian mothers and soldiers, which she had previously recited to the Hyderabad Ladies' War Relief Association in 1915. It also includes "Awake!", with which she concluded a 1915 speech to the Indian National Congress to urge unified Indian action. A collection of all her published poems was printed in New York in 1928. After her death, Naidu's complete poems, including unpublished works, were collected in ''The Feather of the Dawn'' (1961), edited by her daughter Padmaja Naidu''.'' Naidu's speeches were first collected and published in January 1918 as ''The Speeches and Writings of Sarojini Naidu'', a popular publication which led to an expanded reprint in 1919 and again in 1925.


Works

*1905: ''The Golden Threshold'', London: William Heineman *1915: '' The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring'', London: William Heineman and New York: John Lane Company *1919: ''The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring''Vinayak Krishna Gokak
''The Golden Treasury Of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1828–1965)'', p 313, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1970, first edition; 2006 reprint)
, , retrieved 6 August 2010
Sisir Kumar Das
"A History of Indian Literature 1911–1956: Struggle for Freedom: Triumph and Tragedy"
, p 523, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1995), ; retrieved 10 August 2010
*1919: "The Song of the Palanquin Bearers", lyrics by Naidu and music by
Martin Shaw Martin Shaw (born 21 January 1945) is an English actor. He came to national recognition as Doyle in ITV crime-action television drama series '' The Professionals'' (1977–1983). Further notable television parts include the title roles in '' ...
, London: Curwen *1920: ''The Speeches and Writings of Sarojini Naidu'', Madras: G.A. Natesan & Co. *1922: Editor, ''
Mahomed Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
, An Ambassador of Unity: His Speeches & Writings 1912-1917'', with a biographical "Pen Portrait" of Jinnah by Naidu, Madras: Ganesh & Co. *1948: ''The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India'', New York: Dodd, Mead, & Co. *1961: ''The Feather of the Dawn'', edited by Padmaja Naidu, Bombay: Asia Publishing House''''


Death

Naidu died of
cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...
at 3:30 p.m. (
IST Ist or IST may refer to: Information Science and Technology * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Science and Technology * Graduate School / Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Japan * Graduate School ...
) on 2 March 1949 at the Government House in
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divis ...
. Upon her return from
New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...
on 15 February, she was advised to rest by her doctors, and all official engagements were canceled. Her health deteriorated substantially and
bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily f ...
was performed on the night of 1 March after she complained of severe
headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...
. 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 Gomati, which means, among other things, "full of water", may refer to: Geography * Gomati district, a district of Tripura state, India * Gomati monastery, a monastery in Khotan, Turkistan, see Buddhism in Khotan * Gomati Lake, a lake in Vadtal, ...
.


Legacy

Naidu is known as "one of India's feminist luminaries". Naidu's birthday, 13 February, is celebrated as Women's Day to recognise powerful voices of women in India's history. Composer
Helen Searles Westbrook Helen Searles Westbrook (October 15, 1889 – 1967) was an American composer and organist who appeared with Chicago Symphony. Life Westbrook began organ lessons at age eleven with her mother, who was also an organist. Westbrook then studied wit ...
(1889-1967) set Naidu’s text to music in her song “Invincible.” As a poet, Naidu was known as the "Nightingale of India".
Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...
called her "the most accomplished living poet in India" in 1919. Naidu is memorialized in the
Golden Threshold The Golden Threshold is an off-campus annexe of University of Hyderabad. It is named after the renowned Indian poet and political leader Sarojini Naidu's eponymous first collection of poems. The building was the residence of Sarojini Naidu's fat ...
, an off-campus annex of
University of Hyderabad The University of Hyderabad (IAST: ''Hydarāvād visvavidyālayamu'') is a top ranking public central research university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Founded in 1974, this mostly residential campus has more than 5,000 students a ...
named for her first collection of poetry. Golden Threshold now houses the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication in the University of Hyderabad. Asteroid 5647 Sarojininaidu, discovered by
Eleanor Helin Eleanor Francis "Glo" Helin (née Francis, 19 November 1932 – 25 January 2009) was an American astronomer. She was principal investigator of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Some sources gi ...
at
Palomar Observatory Palomar Observatory is an astronomical research observatory in San Diego County, California, United States, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Research time at the observat ...
in 1990, was named in her memory. The official was published by the
Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function T ...
on 27 August 2019 (). In 2014, Google India commemorated Naidu's 135th birth anniversary with a
Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
.


Works about Naidu

The first biography of Naidu, ''Sarojini Naidu: a Biography'' by Padmini Sengupta, was published in 1966. A biography for children, Sarojini Naidu: The Nightingale and The Freedom Fighter, was published by
Hachette Hachette may refer to: * Hachette (surname) * Hachette (publisher), a French publisher, the imprint of Lagardère Publishing ** Hachette Book Group, the American subsidiary ** Hachette Distribution Services, the distribution arm See also * Hachett ...
in 2014. In 1975, the
Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
Films Division The Films Division of India (FDI), commonly referred as Films Division, was established in 1948 following the independence of India. It was the first state film production and distribution unit, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcastin ...
produced a twenty-minute documentary about Naidu's life, "Sarojini Naidu – The Nightingale of India", directed by
Bhagwan Das Garga Bhagwan Das Garga, also known as B. D. Garga (14 November 1924 in Lehragaga, Punjab - 18 July 2011 in Patiala, Punjab), was an Indian documentary filmmaker and film historian. Bhagwan Das Garga was born on 14 November 1924. He was enrolled to stu ...
. In 2020, a
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...
was announced, titled ''Sarojini'', to be directed by Akash Nayak and Dhiraj Mishra, and starring Dipika Chikhlia as Naidu.


See also

* Indian English literature *
Indian literature Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognised languages. The earliest works of Indian literature were ...
*
Indian poetry Indian poetry and Indian literature in general, has a long history dating back to Vedic times. They were written in various Indian languages such as Vedic Sanskrit, Classical Sanskrit, Tamil, Odia, Maithili, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, ...
*
Indian poetry in English Indian English poetry is the oldest form of Indian English literature. Indian poets writing in English have succeeded to nativize or indianize English in order to reveal typical Indian situations. Henry Louis Vivian Derozio is considered the firs ...
*
List of Indian poets This list of Indian poets consists of poets of Indian ethnic, cultural or religious ancestry either born in India or emigrated to India from other regions of the world. Assamese * Amulya Barua (1922–1946), first published posthumously in ...
*
List of Indian writers This is a list of notable writers who come from India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countri ...


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


Nightingale of India: a Sarojini Naidu biopic

The poetry of Sarojini Naidu: A fusion of English language and Indian culture
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''The Golden Threshold''
in The Internet Archive *
Biography and Poems of Sarojini Naidu



Sarojini Naidu: An introduction to her life, work, and poetry By Vishwanath S. Naravane

Sarojini Naidu materials at the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)
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''Sarojini Naidu''
(1975) documentary film by Films Division {{DEFAULTSORT:Naidu, Sarojini 1879 births 1949 deaths 19th-century Indian poets 19th-century Indian politicians 19th-century Indian women politicians 19th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Bengali poets 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian politicians 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian women writers Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge Alumni of King's College London Bengali female poets Bengali Hindus Brahmos English-language poets from India Indian National Congress politicians from Telangana Indian tax resisters Indian women poets People from Bikrampur People from Hyderabad, India Presidents of the Indian National Congress Women in Telangana politics Women in Uttar Pradesh politics Women Indian independence activists Women state governors of India Women writers from Telangana Indian suffragists Indian feminists Indian independence activists from Telangana Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal Sarojini Naidu