Google Doodle commemorates 107th birth anniversary of India's first woman pilot Sarla Thakral

Google Doodle today marked the 107th birth anniversary of India’s first woman pilot Sarla Thakral’s with a special doodle.

Created by Vrinda Zaveri, the doodle was an image of the late pilot seated in a plane with a flowing saree amidst the clouds. In fact, Sarla Thakral was honoured on her previous birth anniversary as well.

Born in Delhi on August 8, 1914, Thakral was inspired by her husband, P.D. Sharma, who was an airmail pilot from a family of nine pilots. In fact, he was the first Indian to become an airmail pilot.

At the age of 21, she stepped into the cockpit of small double-winged aircraft for the first time, wearing a traditional sari, creating history for Indian women by breaking into a typically male-dominated space.

Following this, Thakral became the first woman in India to attain her "A" license after having flown for 1,000 hours. She was also the first woman student at the Lahore Flying Club.

However, things took a turn when her husband met with a tragic death in a plane crash in 1939. With a child to raise, Thakral tried to apply to become a commercial pilot. However, those plans came to a halt due to the outbreak of World War II.

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As a result, Thakral went on to study fine arts and painting at Lahore’s Mayo School of Arts (now the National College of Arts). After the Partition, she returned to Delhi with her two daughters and remarried in 1948 to R.P. Thakral.

She then went on to build a successful career in painting, designing jewellery, and clothing. In 2008, she passed away at the age of 93.

Even today, Thakral stands as an inspiration for aspiring women pilots and for every woman who, despite challenges, does not want to give up on their dreams.