https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Poornima_Arvind_PakvasaPoornima Arvind Pakvasa - Revision history2026-09-07T08:07:36ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poornima_Arvind_Pakvasa&diff=291591&oldid=prev->JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian women social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers2021-07-31T18:30:11Z<p>Merging <a href="/w/index.php?title=Category:Indian_women_social_workers&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Category:Indian women social workers (page does not exist)">Category:Indian women social workers</a> to <a href="/wiki/Category:Social_workers" title="Category:Social workers">Category:Social workers</a> per <a href="https://en.bharatpedia.org/wiki/Bharatpedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2021_July_3#Category:Male_social_workers" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3">Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers</a></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}<br />
{{infobox person<br />
| name = Poornima Arvind Pakvasa<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|1913|10|5}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Ranpur, Gujarat|Ranpur]], [[Gujarat]], India<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2016|4|25|1913|10|5}}<br />
| death_place = [[Surat]], Gujarat, India<br />
| occupation = social worker<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Poornima Arvind Pakvasa''' (5 October 1913 – 25 April 2016), known as the '''Didi of Dangs''', was an Indian independence activist and social worker from [[Gujarat]].<br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
<br />
Pakvasa was born in [[Ranpur, Gujarat|Ranpur]] near [[Limbdi State]], [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] (now in Gujarat). She was also Manipuri dancer and classical vocal singer.<ref name="dailyo">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyo.in/politics/poornima-pakvasa-mahatma-gandhi-indian-freedom-struggle-subhas-chandra-bose-dangs-district/story/1/10421.html|title=Life and death of Poornima Pakvasa, a quiet Gandhian|website=www.dailyo.in|access-date=2018-05-30}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Political and social activism==<br />
Pakvasa first met Mahatma Gandhi at Ranpur when she was eight. She participated in the independence movement in Limbdi. At the age of 18, she participated in the [[Dandi March]] during which she was arrested. Her inmate in jail was [[Kasturba Gandhi]]. Pakvasa taught her how to read and write English. [[Mahatma Gandhi]] was appreciative of this act and gave her his blessings to continue on the path of education.<ref name=":0"/><br />
<br />
She participated in the 51st session of the [[Indian National Congress]] at [[Haripura]] in 1938.<ref name=dailyo/><br />
<br />
In 1954, she started Shaktidal, an institution for the cultural, physical and spiritual education of women in [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai). She headed the Bhosla Military School, [[Nashik]] for 25 years.<ref>http://xaviers.edu/aic/The_Pakvasa_Family.pdf</ref> Later in 1974<!---1969--->, she established Ritambhara Vishwa Vidyapeeth and extended its activities to become a residential school and college at [[Saputara]]. The school chiefly served tribal girls of Dang.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=dailyo/> She [[centenarian|turned 100]] in October 2013<ref name="Centenary">{{cite news|title = Dang's Didi Poornimaben Pakvasa completes 100 years of life|newspaper = DeshGujarat|date = 5 October 2013|url = http://deshgujarat.com/2013/10/05/dangs-didi-purnimaben-pakvasa-completes-100-years-of-life/|access-date = 2013-10-17}}</ref> and died on 25 April 2016 at the age of 102 in Surat.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/freedom-fighter-didi-of-dangs-dies-at-103-in-surat-2771986/|title=Freedom fighter, 'Didi of Dangs', dies at 103 in Surat|date=2016-04-27|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-05-30|language=en-US}}</ref> Her last rites were performed in [[Saputara]] by her children.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
== Awards ==<br />
In 2004 she was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]] award for her services to society.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|title=Padma Awards|date=2015|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="Centenary" /> She was awarded Santokbaa Award in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://santokbaaaward.org/|title=SantokBaa Awards|website=santokbaaaward.org|access-date=2018-05-30}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Personal life ==<br />
She married Arvind Pakvasa and was a daughter-in-law of [[Mangaldas Pakvasa]]. She had two daughters - Aarti and Sonal Mansingh - and a son Anuj. [[Sonal Mansingh]] is an Indian classical dancer.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.indianautographs.com/productdetail-104316.html Profile of Poornima Arvind Pakvasa]<br />
<br />
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakvasa, Poornima Arvind}}<br />
[[Category:1913 births]]<br />
[[Category:2016 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian centenarians]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers]]<br />
[[Category:Women educators from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:Educators from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]<br />
[[Category:People from Botad district]]<br />
[[Category:Gandhians]]<br />
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Gujarat]]<br />
[[Category:Women centenarians]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]</div>->JJMC89 bot III