Today’s Google Doodle commemorates Sarojini Naidu on her 135th birthday. One of the most famous women to have made a mark in Indian history, Naidu is also known by the sobriquet, the Nightingale of India. She was given this informal title in praise of her poetry which always had a beautiful lyrical and musical ring to it.
Who was Sarojini Naidu?
The Google Doodle consists of a very simple, yet eye-catching drawing of Naidu’s face which stands for the O in the company’s logo. And then there’s a blue pen (indicating her renowned status as a weaver of verses) that represents the letter L in Google.
Apart from having achieved the ranking of a child prodigy and a poet, Naidu was the first woman to have held the position of a governor of an Indian state. She was also the second woman to have headed the Indian National Congress as the president, the first one having been Britisher, Annie Besant.
Naidu was born on 13 February, 1879 in Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh. She was the eldest of 8 siblings. Writing ran in the family, with her mother having been a poetess too. She was a fiery Indian revolutionary and so was her brother, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya.
Apart from the February 13 Google Doodle, the company released another one dedicated to India on January 26th this year. It was in celebration of the country’s 65th Republic Day and featured what looked like Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers decked up in the colors of the nation’s flag.