On Monday, many took to Twitter recalling the life and work of Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve to mark his death anniversary. Hailing from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri, Karve (often called Anna Karve) had been a staunch activist for women's rights. Born in April 1858, the social reformer had passed away on November 9, 1962 at the age of 104.
"A heartfelt tribute to the great social reformer 'Bharat Ratna' Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve on the occasion of Punyatithi!" tweeted Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minsiter Ajit Pawar.
"Tributes to Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve on his Smruti Din. Bharat Ratna Maharshi Karve dedicated his life for women's rights and welfare, education and widow remarriage," tweeted former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Here's are 7 interesting factoids about the reformer:
1. He worked extensive for the welfare of women, and advocated widow remarriage and education and upliftment of widows. He established the widow Marriage Association in 1893 and started India's first school for widows near Pune.
2. He married a widowed woman, facing massive social backlash in the process.
3. He had been a mathematics professor at Pune's Fergusson College in at the beginning of the 20th century.
4. He was awarded both the Padma Vibhushan and the Bharat Ratna. He had been awarded India's highest civilian award on his centenary year.
5. Mumbai's Queen's Road was renamed as Maharshi Karve Road in his honour.
6. There have been movies and plays based on Karve's life. The Marathi play Himalayachi Saavli is loosely based on his life, and Amol Palekar's 2001 film Dhyaas Parva is based on the life of Karve's son Raghunath and also the family as a whole.
7. Reports suggest that Karve's work reached far away lands, even finding mention in Gandhi's weekly publication, Indian Opinion. At the time, Gandhi had been in South Africa. Over the years, Karve also met with many influential leaders, including Albert Einstein.
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