Amrita Pritam’s 100th Birthday

Today’s Doodle celebrates Amrita Pritam, one of history’s foremost female Punjabi writers, who “dared to live the life she imagines.” Born in Gujranwala, British India, 100 years ago today, Pritam published her first collection of verse at age 16. She is most remembered for “Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu,” her poem lamenting the traumatic 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. The work’s title translates as “I Call upon Varis Shah Today,” referring to the 18th-century Sufi poet Waris Shah.

Widely considered the greatest 20th-century Punjabi poet, Pritam also published 28 novels including Pinjar, a dramatic tale set during the time of partition which was adapted into a movie. Her autobiography Kala Gulab (Black Rose), referenced in the Doodle art, revealed many details of her personal life, allowing other women to speak more openly about their experiences with love and marriage.

Known for her mastery of the Punjabi language, Pritam lived in Pakistan after the partition, but also wrote many works in Hindi and Urdu, as her work was admired on both sides of the border. Pritam also worked for All-India Radio and edited the literary journal Nagmani. In 1986, she was nominated to Rajya Sabha, the Indian parliament.

Throughout a six-decade career, Pritam received many prestigious awards including the Bharatiya Jnanpith literary award in 1981 and one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Vibushan, in 2005. That same year a French translation of her novel, The Skeleton, was awarded the La Route des Indes Literary Prize. 

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Early concept sketches by artist Vrinda Zaveri

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Baba Amte’s 104th Birthday

Today’s slideshow Doodle follows and honors the life and legacy of Indian social worker and activist Murlidhar Devidas Amte, affectionately known as Baba Amte (Father Amte). Amte dedicated his life to serving those in need, especially those afflicted with leprosy.

On this day in 1914, Amte was born into a  wealthy family in Maharashtra, India. Exposed early on to a life of privilege, he would hunt wild animals, play sports, and drive luxurious cars. He went on to study law and  was running his own successful firm by his 20s. Despite his upbringing however, Amte was aware of India’s class inequalities throughout his childhood.

By his 30s, Amte left his practice in order to work alongside the underprivileged. As he set off on his mission, he met Indu Ghuleshastri, whose kindness to an elderly servant touched Amte, and the two married soon after. 

Amte’s life was changed forever when he encountered a man suffering from leprosy. The sight of the man’s decaying body filled him with overwhelming fear. Confronting that fear, Amte identified the state of “mental leprosy” that allowed people to feel apathetic in the face of this dreaded affliction. He said that the most frightening disease is not losing one’s limbs, but losing one’s strength to feel kindness and compassion. 

Dedicating his life to the cause, Amte defied the social stigmas faced by leprosy patients by injecting himself with bacilli to prove that the disease was not highly contagious. in 1949 he established Anandwan—meaning “Forest of Bliss”—a self-sufficient village and rehabilitation center for leprosy patients.

A strong believer in national unity, Amte launched the first Knit India March in 1985. At age 72, he walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, a distance of more than 3,000 miles with the simple purpose to inspire unity in India. In a time of national strife, Amte was accompanied by 100 men and 16 women, all under the age of 35. He organized a second march three years later, traveling over 1800 miles from Assam to Gujarat.

In recognition of Amte’s tireless work, he went on to win the 1971 Padma Shri Award, the 1988 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, and the 1999 Gandhi Peace Prize. His legacy lives on through his two sons who share their father’s sense of compassion.

On what would have been his 104th birthday, we salute Babe Amte for a lifetime of service to humanity.
 

Doodle by Vrinda Zaveri

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2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games

Let the games begin! Today’s Doodle celebrates the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, held this year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Over 200 countries will take part this year, sending thousands of athletes age 15-18 to the summer games. Described by the International Olympic Committee as “an elite sporting event for young people from all over the world,” the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are much like the Olympic Games (OG) in many respect. They have a mascot—this year it’s Pandi the teen jaguar, who loves sports and is native to Argentina. The games occur every four years in a different city and country with summer and winter editions. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for first, second, and third place — this year designed by 18-year-old Farid Husen from Indonesia. This year kiteboarding and BMX freestyle park will make their debuts, as well as a new version of handball that’s played on the beach. Football (aka soccer) is out, in favor of futsal — an indoor game played on a smaller hard court. This year will also feature mixed gender events as well as mixed National Olympic Committee events, bringing athletes from different countries together on the same team. Athletes are not the only young people who can get involved in YOG. There are also opportunities for Young Reporters, Ambassadors and Athlete Role Models. Besides showing off their athletic skills, participants take part in workshops and other activities designed to expose young people to different cultures and instill the Olympic Values: Friendship, Respect and Excellence as well as Determination, Inspiration, Courage and Equality. Good luck to all the athletes at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games! Doodle by " Cynthia Yuan Cheng " and " Vrinda Zaveri ".

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Fall Equinox (Northern Hemisphere) 2018

September ' 22 , 2018.

Happy Fall Equinox! Today marks the first day of autumn, astronomically speaking at least. The autumnal equinox — the celestial event in which the sun is directly above the equator — occurs around 1:54 AM UTC. That means night and day will be almost exactly equal in length, since the earth’s tilt and position in orbit render it parallel with the sun. Just following the equinox, the northern hemisphere will gradually begin to tilt away from the sun’s rays and usher in the cool, crisp autumn weather. This year’s seasonal Doodle series protagonist, Quinn, curiously follows the path of a falling leaf, waking up a new friend hidden in the deciduous mound. Surely as the trees begin to turn, many, like Quinn, will find warmth in the company of friends old and new, and fun in the potential of colorful, crunchy leaf piles! Doodle by Sophie Diao, with coloring help from Vrinda Zaveri.

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