Prabhavati Devi: Difference between revisions
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|birth_place = Srinagar, [[Saran district]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />{{small|(present-day [[Siwan district]], [[Bihar]], [[India]])}} |
|birth_place = Srinagar, [[Saran district]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />{{small|(present-day [[Siwan district]], [[Bihar]], [[India]])}} |
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|image = |
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|birth_date = {{Birth year| |
|birth_date = {{Birth year|1904}} |
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|death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|04|15| |
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|04|15|1904|df=yes}} |
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|death_place = [[Patna]], Bihar, India |
|death_place = [[Patna]], Bihar, India |
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|nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]] |
|nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]] |
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|mother = Phool Devi Prasad |
|mother = Phool Devi Prasad |
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'''Prabhavati Devi Narayan''' (''[[née]]'' '''Prasad'''; |
'''Prabhavati Devi Narayan''' (''[[née]]'' '''Prasad'''; 1904 – 15 April 1973) was an [[List of Indian independence activists|Indian independence activist]] from the present-day state of [[Bihar]], and wife of Indian independence and social activist, [[Jayprakash Narayan]]. |
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==Early life and family== |
==Early life and family== |
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She was born to prominent lawyer, [[Brajkishore Prasad]] and Phool Devi in Srinagar in the present-day district of [[Siwan District|Siwan]] in [[Bihar]]. Brajkishore Prasad was himself an ardent [[Gandhian]] perhaps the first Congress party member in Bihar who had given up a lucrative legal practice to devote himself to freedom struggle. She was married to [[Jayprakash Narayan]] when she was |
She was born to prominent lawyer, [[Brajkishore Prasad]] and Phool Devi in Srinagar in the present-day district of [[Siwan District|Siwan]] in [[Bihar]]. Brajkishore Prasad was himself an ardent [[Gandhian]] perhaps the first Congress party member in Bihar who had given up a lucrative legal practice to devote himself to freedom struggle. She was married to [[Jayprakash Narayan]] when she was 16 in October 1920.<ref name=Keeper>{{cite web |url=http://www.liberalsindia.com/freedomfirst/ff452-01.html |title=Jayaprakash Narayan — Keeper of India's Conscience |first=Prem |last=Vaidya |publisher=LiberalsIndia.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-16}}</ref> |
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After their marriage, [[Jayaprakash Narayan]] went to the USA to initially study science in [[California]] but instead enrolled at [[University of Wisconsin]] to study [[Marxism]]. She moved to Gandhi's ashram where she devoted herself completely to Gandhi's wife, [[Kasturba Gandhi]] who started regarding her as her daughter.<ref name="Das2005">{{citation|author=Sandip Das|title=Jayaprakash Narayan: A Centenary Volume|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U9U0LiT3dtMC|year=2005|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-8324-001-7}}</ref>{{rp|240}} |
After their marriage, [[Jayaprakash Narayan]] went to the USA to initially study science in [[California]] but instead enrolled at [[University of Wisconsin]] to study [[Marxism]]. She moved to Gandhi's ashram where she devoted herself completely to Gandhi's wife, [[Kasturba Gandhi]] who started regarding her as her daughter.<ref name="Das2005">{{citation|author=Sandip Das|title=Jayaprakash Narayan: A Centenary Volume|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U9U0LiT3dtMC|year=2005|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-8324-001-7}}</ref>{{rp|240}} |
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==Later life and death== |
==Later life and death== |
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The last few years were especially painful for Prabha after she was discovered to be suffering from advanced [[cancer]].<ref name="Das2005" /> |
The last few years were especially painful for Prabha after she was discovered to be suffering from advanced [[cancer]].<ref name="Das2005" /> She died on April 15, 1973.<ref name=Keeper/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Prabhavati}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Prabhavati}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1904 births]] |
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[[Category:1973 deaths]] |
[[Category:1973 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bihar]] |
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bihar]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:18, 5 October 2023
Prabhavati Devi Narayan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Prabhavati Devi Prasad 1904 Srinagar, Saran district, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Siwan district, Bihar, India) |
| Died | 15 April 1973 (aged 68–69) Patna, Bihar, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse | Jayprakash Narayan |
| Parents |
|
Prabhavati Devi Narayan (née Prasad; 1904 – 15 April 1973) was an Indian independence activist from the present-day state of Bihar, and wife of Indian independence and social activist, Jayprakash Narayan.
Early life and family[edit]
She was born to prominent lawyer, Brajkishore Prasad and Phool Devi in Srinagar in the present-day district of Siwan in Bihar. Brajkishore Prasad was himself an ardent Gandhian perhaps the first Congress party member in Bihar who had given up a lucrative legal practice to devote himself to freedom struggle. She was married to Jayprakash Narayan when she was 16 in October 1920.[1]
After their marriage, Jayaprakash Narayan went to the USA to initially study science in California but instead enrolled at University of Wisconsin to study Marxism. She moved to Gandhi's ashram where she devoted herself completely to Gandhi's wife, Kasturba Gandhi who started regarding her as her daughter.[2]: 240
When her husband returned, he was regarded a revolutionary and this led to several differences with her because of her Gandhian orientation. She had also asked to take a vow by Mahatma Gandhi to be a celibate.[3] Being a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Prabhavati was one of the women to take part in his controversial celibacy tests.[4] Nevertheless, the couple respected each other and jointly decided not to have any children until the country was free from foreign yoke. She was jailed by the British colonial authorities on several occasions.
Friendship with the Nehru family[edit]
Prabhavati devi built up a very close relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru's wife, Kamala Nehru and became her confidante. Kamala wrote several personal letters to her. Most of the letters were returned to Kamala's daughter, Indira Gandhi by Jayaprakash following Prabha's death.[5] one hangs on the wall of the home in the Kadam Kuan locality of Patna where Narayan and his wife both spent their last years. This letter was a handwritten letter by Nehru to Prabhavati during 1958 in Hindustani. The content of the letter summarizes as "Prabhavati had wished to start a school for girls and name it for Kamala Nehru. She had written to Jawaharlal asking whether he would inaugurate it. Nehru, in reply, said that he was delighted that this school was being planned, for he had long been an advocate of education for girls. But, he added, he had taken a vow that in the case of any school, project, or programme started in memory of his father (Motilal Nehru) or his wife, he would not participate in its inauguration. He asked Prabhavati to go ahead and start the school, with another chief guest if required. He added by way of consolation that when the place was up and running, he would come visit it anyway".
Life after Indian independence[edit]
It was under her influence that Jayaprakash joined the Sarvodaya movement and actively participated in peace overtures in the Northeast India and the Middle East. She established Mahila Charkha Samiti in Patna to involve deserted and abandoned women in the charkha or the spinning wheel movement on the Gandhian model.
Later life and death[edit]
The last few years were especially painful for Prabha after she was discovered to be suffering from advanced cancer.[2] She died on April 15, 1973.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Vaidya, Prem. "Jayaprakash Narayan — Keeper of India's Conscience". LiberalsIndia.com. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ a b Sandip Das (2005), Jayaprakash Narayan: A Centenary Volume, Mittal Publications, ISBN 978-81-8324-001-7
- ^ Jayakar, Pupul (1995). Indira Gandhi, a biography (Rev. ed.). New Delhi, India: Penguin. p. 51. ISBN 978-0140114621.
- ^ Lal, Vinay (2000). "Nakedness, Nonviolence, and Brahmacharya: Gandhi's Experiments in Celibate Sexuality". Journal of the History of Sexuality. 9 (1/2): 105–136. ISSN 1043-4070.
- ^ "That family feeling". Hindustan Times. 24 October 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2021.