Asha Devi Aryanayakam

Asha Devi Aryanayakam (1901-1972)[1] was an Indian freedom fighter, educationist and gandhian.[2][3] She was closely connected with Sevagram of Mahatma Gandhi[4] and the Bhoodan movement of Vinoba Bhave.[5]

Asha Devi Aryanayakam
Born1901
Lahore, British India
Died1972
Spouse(s)E. R. W. Aranyakam
Parent(s)Phani Bhushan Adhikari
Sarjubala Devi
AwardsPadma Shri

Biography

She was born in 1901, in Lahore of the erstwhile British India and the present day Pakistan to Phani Bhushan Adhikari, a professor, and Sarjubala Devi and spent her childhood in Lahore and later in Banares. She did her schooling and college studies at home and secured MA after which joined the Women's College, Benares as a member of the faculty. Later, she took up the responsibility of looking after the girls at Shantiniketan and moved to the campus where she met E. R. W. Aranyakam, a Sri Lankan who worked as the private secretary to Rabindranath Tagore and married him.[2][3] The couple had two children. It was during this time, she was influenced by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and she, along with her husband, joined him in Sevagram in Wardha. Initially she worked at the Marwadi Vidyalaya but later took up the ideals of Nai Talim and worked at Hindustani Talimi Sangh.[2][3] The Government of India honoured her in 1954, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to the society,[6] placing her among the first recipients of the award.

Asha Devi Aranyakam published two works, The Teacher: Gandhi[7] and Shanti-Sena: die indische Friedenswehr,[8] both related Mahatma Gandhi. She died in 1972.[1]

References
  1. "Boston University". Boston University. 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  2. L. C. Jain (1998). The City of Hope: The Faridabad Story. Concept Publishing Company. p. 330. ISBN 9788170227489.
  3. Aijazuddin Ahmad, Moonis Raza (1990). An Atlas of Tribal India. oncept Publishing Company. p. 472. ISBN 9788170222866.
  4. Geoffrey Carnall (2010). Gandhi's Interpreter: A Life of Horace Alexander. Edinburgh University Press. p. 314. ISBN 9780748640454.
  5. Bikram Sarkar (1989). Land Reforms in India, Theory and Practice. APH Publishing. p. 275. ISBN 9788170242604.
  6. "Padma Shri" (PDF). Padma Shri. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  7. Asha Devi Aryanayakam (1966). The Teacher: Gandhi. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 37.
  8. Asha Devi Aryanayakam (1958). Shanti-Sena: die indische Friedenswehr. Freundschaftsheim.

Further reading
  • Asha Devi Aryanayakam (1966). The Teacher: Gandhi. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 37.
  • Asha Devi Aryanayakam (1958). Shanti-Sena: die indische Friedenswehr. Freundschaftsheim.
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