After receiving the initial license, Sarla completed 1000 hours of flying in the aircraft. Besides aircraft pilot, Sarla became a successful businesswoman, painter and began designing clothes and costume jewellery.
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| Sarla Thukral was born on August 8, 1914 (Image:-Google) |
Google doodle celebrates the 107th birth anniversary of Sarla Thukral who was the first ever Indian woman to fly an aircraft. The doodle was illustrated by artist Vrinda Zaveri. Sarla was born on 8th August, 1914 in New Delhi. She received the aviation pilot license at the age of 21 in 1935 and flew Gypsy Moth solo. At that time, she was the mother of four year old daughter.
At the age of 16, she married to P.D. Sharma who encouraged her because he himself was from that family which had nine pilots. After receiving the initial license, Sarla completed 1000 hours of flying in the aircraft owned by the Lahore Flying Club and she became the first woman in India who attained “A” license.
In 1939, Sarla Thukral’s husband Captain P.D. Sharma died due to the crash of airplane. Then, widow Sarla tried to train her for commercial pilot license but at that time World War 2 had begun and civil training was suspended. After that, Sarla cancelled the plan of becoming commercial pilot because she had to raise her child and to earn her livelihood.
Then, she returned to Lahore and trained in Bengal School of Arts from where she got one year diploma in fine arts. She was the deepest follower of Arya Samaj. Within this community, remarriage was a possibility for Sarla.
After the partition of India, she moved to delhi with her two daughters where she met with R.D. Thukral and Sarla married with him in 1948. Besides aircraft pilot, Sarla became a successful businesswoman, painter and began designing clothes and costume jewellery. On 15th march, 2008 she died.