SAROJINI NAIDU: AN INTRODUCTION

Sarojini Naidu was born in an illustrious Bengali Brahmin family in Hyderabad on 13^th of February 1879. Her family originally belonged to Brahmangaon, a village in East Bengal. It is now in Bangladesh. Sarojini received her early education in Hyderabad. At the age of twelve, she passed matriculation from Madras University. At the age of thirteen, she composed a long narrative poem Lady of the Lake. In the age of sixteen, she went to England for further studies in 1895. First of all she studied in King’s College of London and after that she went to Girton College, Cambridge.

In England Sarojini attracted the attention of Sir, Edmund Gosse and Arthur Symons. They were renowned poets, critics and biographers. Under the guidance of these two great authors, Sarojini embarked upon her career as a poet.

Sarojini suffered a nervous breakdown in England in 1898. Due to this she returned back India without any formal degree. She was married to Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu. After her marriage she settled in Hyderabad. In 1914 she came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in London. After that she decided to devote herself to India’s freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi gave her a name the Nightingale of India or Bharat Kokila.

No doubt, Sarojini Naidu was the great, gifted and glorious daughter of India. She passed away in 1949. On her death Nehru said, ‘…and now the dearest and brightest of them has gone. I feel desolate of heart and widowed in spirit.’