Born in 1914 in Delhi, Sarla
Thukral moved to Lahore (then in British India) at a young age. At the age of
16, she married P. D. Sharma, a commercial pilot and a scion of a family
with a strong aviation background. Her husband noticed her keen interest in
flying and encouraged her to pursue it. At just 21 years old, in 1936,
Sarla earned her aviation pilot license and became the first Indian
woman to fly a plane, a Gypsy Moth aircraft, solo.
Wearing a traditional saree, she
confidently took control of the aircraft and completed over 1,000 hours of
flying. Her achievement was even more remarkable considering the era—when
Indian women had limited access to education and few career opportunities. Her
courage and ambition were a symbol of breaking barriers in a male-dominated
field.
Tragedy struck when her husband died
in a plane crash, but Sarla did not let grief ground her dreams. Although she
was not allowed to continue commercial flying due to World War II, she
redirected her talents. Sarla enrolled at the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore
(now the National College of Arts, Pakistan) and became a successful painter
and designer, eventually establishing her own business in textile and
jewelry design.
Post-partition, she moved to India
with her two daughters and continued her artistic pursuits in Delhi. Sarla
Thukral remained a symbol of resilience, courage, and creativity until her
death in 2008 at the age of 94.
Sarla’s story is not just about
flying planes—it’s about breaking free from constraints, redefining womanhood,
and daring to dream when dreams seemed impossible. Her journey carved the
runway for women in aviation like Durba Banerjee, Harita Kaur Deol, and Gunjan
Saxena, who followed in her flight path.
Today, Sarla Thukral stands as a
proud icon of India’s aviation history, a name that reminds us how high one can
fly when they refuse to be held down by the ground.
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1. In which year did
Sarla Thukral become the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft?
A) 1925
B) 1936
C) 1942
D) 1950
Answer:
2. What type of
aircraft did Sarla Thukral fly solo?
A) Boeing 747
B) Fokker F27
C) Gypsy Moth
D) Cessna 172
Answer:
3. At what age did
Sarla Thukral receive her aviation pilot license?
A) 18
B) 20
C) 21
D) 25
Answer:
4. What was Sarla
Thukral’s husband’s profession?
A) Doctor
B) Commercial Pilot
C) Engineer
D) Lawyer
Answer:
5. Which city was
Sarla Thukral originally from?
A) Mumbai
B) Delhi
C) Kolkata
D) Chennai
Answer:
6. After her
husband’s death, which field did Sarla Thukral pursue?
A) Law
B) Medicine
C) Painting and Design
D) Teaching
Answer:
7. Which famous
Indian institution did she attend for arts education?
A) J.J. School of Art
B) Mayo School of Arts (now National College of Arts)
C) Kala Bhavan
D) Banaras Hindu University
Answer:
8. In what year did
Sarla Thukral pass away?
A) 1998
B) 2004
C) 2008
D) 2010
Answer:
9. What traditional
Indian attire did Sarla wear while flying?
A) Salwar Kameez
B) Saree
C) Western Flying Suit
D) Lehenga
Answer:
10. Sarla Thukral’s
achievements paved the way for which of the following female aviators?
A) Rakesh Sharma
B) Kalpana Chawla
C) Durba Banerjee
D) Indira Gandhi
Answer:
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