Sarla Birla
| Sarla Birla | |
|---|---|
Sarla Birla
|
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| Born |
23 November 1923 Kuchhaman, Rajasthan, India |
| Died | March 28, 2015 (aged 91) New Delhi, India |
| Residence | Kolkata |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Educationist |
| Home town | Calcutta |
| Spouse(s) | Basant Kumar BIRLA |
| Parent(s) | Brajlal Biyani |
Dr. Sarla Birla (November 23, 1923 – March 28, 2015) was an Indian educationalist who was the founder of about 45 educational institutions supported by the Birla family. She was the daughter of the freedom fighter Brijlal Biyani, daughter-in-law of the pioneering industrialist GD Birla and the grandmother of billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla.
In April 1941, she married Basant Kumar Birla, the son of GD Birla, after having been introduced to each other by Jamnalal Bajaj and Mahatma Gandhi. They are sometimes referred to as the "first couple of Birla empire". They had a son, Aditya Vikram Birla, and two daughters, Jayashree Mohta and Manjushree Khaitan. Her only son Aditya Vikram Birla died early in 1995.
She had made notable contributions through her social and institutional activities and took an active part in their working. She had been associated as governor, trustee, or otherwise by establishing the following institutions:
Her collection of Indian art, including that on display at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata, ranks amongst India's notable private collections. The Sangit Kala Mandir, besides the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, were both set up by the couple.
Sarala was born the daughter of Brijlal Biyani, a freedom fighter and Congress Party worker in an unusually progressive family that even 70 years ago believed that girls must be educated. Their marriage was an arranged match made by their parents, facilitated by Jamnalal Bajaj and Mahatma Gandhi. Sarala recalled:
Basant Kumar Birla agrees, "I told my colleagues, I am an interested in a girl who was educated and as she was educated - even without seeing her, I had approved her."
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