Mahadevi Verma's life is a unique example of literature, education and social service
She was born on 26 March 1907 in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, in a cultured and educated family. Her father's name was Babu Govind Prasad Verma and mother's name was Hemrani Devi. Mahadevi was the eldest child of her parents. Education and culture were given great importance in her family, the effect of which is clearly visible on her personality and writing. Mahadevi's early education began at home. She was brilliant since childhood and her interest in writing poetry began to show at an early age. At the age of seven, she was married to Dr. Swarup Narayan Verma, which happened according to the prevalent tradition of that time. However, even after marriage, Mahadevi lived in her maternal home and continued her studies. She studied Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali literature in depth. Later she moved to Allahabad (Prayag) and from there she obtained a B.A. degree. Mahadevi Verma started her literary journey with poetry. Her works reflect the characteristics of Chhayavaad - subtle depiction of nature, emotional depth and spirituality. Her first poetic work Nehar was published in 1930, which established her in the literary world. After this, works like Rashmi, Neerja and Sandhya Geet further increased her fame. Her poems contain a poignant depiction of the pain and sensitivity of women's life. She also made an excellent contribution in prose. In 'Shreen ke Kadiyaan', she expressed deep thoughts on the slavery and social bondages of women's life, while Atit ke Chalchitra is a collection of her memoirs, which shows the simplicity and depth of her writing style. Mahadevi Verma lived a married life with her husband for a very short time. After marriage, she did not go to her in-laws' house and freely dedicated her life to literature and social service. She lived simply and liked to wear white saree, due to which she was also called "Modern Meera". Her life was influenced by philosophical and spiritual thinking, which is reflected in her works. Mahadevi Varma played a key role in the establishment of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth in Allahabad and was also its principal. She was a strong supporter of women's education and empowerment. Even in the last years of her life, she remained dedicated to literature and education. She received many awards for her literary contributions, including the Padma Bhushan in 1956 and the Jnanpith Award in 1982. She died on 11 September 1987 in Allahabad, but her works are still alive and will continue to inspire the youth of the new generation.
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