Today's Google Doodlehonours Sarla Thukral, the first Indian woman to pilot an aircraft in thecountry, on her 107th birth anniversary. As the first woman pilot in India,Thukral inspired several women to take up flying over the years.
The doodle wasillustrated by artist Vrinda Zaveri. Thukral left such a lasting legacy forwomen in aviation that Google decided to run the doodle this year in honour ofher 107th birthday," the company said while explaining the doodle art fortoday.
Sarla Thukral wasborn in Delhi, British India, on August 8, 1914, later moving to Lahore inpresent-day Pakistan. Inspired by her husband, who was an airmail pilot from afamily of fliers, she began training to follow in their footsteps.
“At age 21, dressedin a traditional sari, she stepped into the cockpit of a small double-wingedplane for her first solo flight. Lifting the craft into the sky, she madehistory in the process,” Google stated. Her achievement was no easy task –Thukral had to complete 1000 hours of flight training to gain her A licence atthe Lahore Flying Club. This was another first for Indian women.
“We planned to runthis same doodle honouring Sarla Thukral in India last year. However, when thetragic plane crash occurred in Kerala, we withheld the doodle out of respect tothe event and relief effort. Though we don’t usually run doodles more thanonce, Thukral left such a lasting legacy for women in aviation that we decidedto run the doodle this year in honour of her 107th birthday,” the company saidin a statement.
In the decades since,Thukral’s soaring achievements "have paved the way for generations ofIndian women to turn their dreams of flight into reality," said Googlewhile elaborating on today's doodle.