Most Beautiful Indian Women of All time
The concept of beauty is so misunderstood. We often relate it with physical apprearance and make these lists that rank them in the order of who has a better face. But I feel that external beauty is a result of how a person is on the inside. Someone could look attractive at first glance, but if they aren't a good person our perception changes. This implies that perhaps beauty is relative and depends on who is viewing it, how they feel about the person and what effect they leave on that person.
In this context, I thought of mainting a list of all the women i come across who i feel have such inner beauty that their personality has the ability to light up others around them. The traits most important to me are humility, empathy, perseverance, confidence, passion, rooted to culture, adaptable to changing times, ability to defy the norm for the right cause, and a never back down attitude that also has space for others to grow.
1. Savitribai Phule
2. Sushma Swaraj
3. Sudha Murthy
4. Priyanka Chopra
5. Kangana Ranaut
.... contd.
[Chronological numbering, not based on qualitative parameters]
Savitribai Phule
Since at that time the idea of teaching girls was considered to be a radical one, people would often throw dung and stones at her as she made her way to the school.
Savitribai would carry two saris when she went to school, changing out of the soiled sari once she reached school, which would again be soiled on her way back, and yet, she did not give up.
The guard who was then appointed for her, wrote in his memoirs about what she would say to those men, “As I do the sacred task of teaching my fellow sisters, the stones or cow dung that you throw seem like flowers to me. May God bless you!”
Woman of change: Crusading for womens education at a time when it was considered an aberration. Turning crisis into opportunity and using poetry to empower the minds.
Sushma Swaraj
"Both education and economic independence are important but political empowerment is a higher form of empowerment."
"Men should be encouraged to study home science in college and hone their culinary skills, while women should be motivated to take up physical education, especially martial arts, as an effort to banish gender bias from society."
“I am always proud to say that India is a country where a woman became a president, prime minister; chief ministers from different states have been women and even heads of political parties and speakers of the houses of Parliament have been women.”
Woman of Change: Strongest female voice to hold some of the highest positions of authority in Indian polity. Continuously infusing the idea of gender equality in politics at a time when the mainstream wasn't yet ready to talk about it. A woman with bindi, saree and sindoor at some of the biggest international summits.
Sudha Murthy
"Normally I don't lie because I don't have a great memory power to remember what I lied last time. Best is to tell truth and truth is alone. It is all alone but it is powerful."
"Hundred lectures you can give, but a good act is much more powerful...All these children remember is only stories."
Woman of Change: Exemplifying the wholesome Indian woman- the traditional yet modern, culturally rooted yet successful woman, who thinks in her mother tongue (Kannada) writes in English and touches hearts with her humility.
Priyanka Chopra
"Financial independence is paramount. My mom always says that when a woman is financially independent, she has the ability to live life on her own terms. I think that was the soundest advice that I ever got. No matter where you go in life or who you get married to, you have to be financially independent - whether you use it or not."
“When life gives you lemons, make grape juice, then sit back and let people wonder how you did it.”
"You need to feel comfortable. When you're comfortable, you feel confident. And when you're confident, the world is your oyster."
Woman of Change: Rising above setbacks in personal and professional spheres and paving a path towards global domination in a way never explored before. Bringing regional cinema in to the main stream with her production company that has made films in Bhojpuri, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi and Assemese.
Kangana Ranaut
"As a woman, we don't have to hope to get our dues. We need to get up and get it ourselves."
"..this is not my issue alone. Nepotism is a practice where people tend to act upon temperamental human emotions, rather than intellectual tendencies...I believe that the human race hasn’t found the DNA that can pass on greatness and excellence. If it had, we would’ve loved to repeat the greatness of Einstein, Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Vivekananda, Stephen Hawking, Terence Tao, Daniel Day-Lewis, or Gerhard Richter."
"I use every card possible. At the workplace, it’s the badass card to fight cutthroat competition. With my family and loved ones, it’s the love card. When fighting the world, it’s the dignity card, and for a seat in a bus, it’s the woman card. What is important to understand is that we are not fighting people, we are fighting a mentality."
"I am not one of those persons who can mince words...Mujhe samajh nahi ata ki main bolun toh kya na bolun aur na bolun toh kya bolun"
Woman of Change: Bringing in an ideological revolution in the masses by consistently standing her ground on important social issues. Sharing stories of adversities, mistakes and lessons to empower the masses. Bringing into mainstream discussions, the ideas of merit, talent, passion and hard work as engines of societal growth.
***
... to be continued.
Note: These are the ones that i could think of at the top of my head. I wish to go deeper and find even the ones who aren't that well known. Shall add to the list as i find.
Part 2: Sillabhattarika, Ahilyabai Holkar, Saalumarada Thimmakka, Rekha
Part 3: Vijja, Amrita Pritam, Jamuna Tudu, Vyjayanthimala, Sushmita Sen
Part 4: Gauri, Tulsi Gowda, Meena Kumari, Raveena Tandon
Part 5: Sulagitti Narasamma, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Sushma Bhadu, Harayana
Part 6: Akka Mahadevi, Lalleswari (Lal Ded), Subhasini Mistry
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