->PQR01 at 13:53, 11 January 2022

2022-01-11T13:53:34Z

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{{Short description|Indian activist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name =Janaki Devi Bajaj
| birth_date ={{Birth date|1893|01|07|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Jaora]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1979|05|21|1893|01|07|df=y}}
| occupation = [[Freedom fighters of India|independence activist]]
| nationality = Indian
| spouse = [[Jamnalal Bajaj]]
| awards = [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1956)
}}
'''Janaki Devi Bajaj''' (7 January 1893 – 21 May 1979) was an Indian [[Freedom fighters of India|independence activist]] who was jailed for participating in [[Civil Disobedience Movement]] in 1932.

== Early life and career ==
She was born on 7 January 1893 in [[Jaora]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]] into a Agarwal family. At the age of eight, she was married to 12-year-old [[Jamnalal Bajaj]], a boy of her own community and similar family, in a match arranged by their families in the usual Indian way.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/67046/jankidevi-bajaj-puraskar-changemakers/|title=The Story of Jankidevi Bajaj, Who Gave up Gold, Silks & Purdah to Inspire Hundreds of Indian Women|date=2016-09-03|work=The Better India|access-date=2018-04-26|language=en-US}}</ref> The marriage was entirely harmonious and conventional, and Jankidevi was a devoted wife and mother. At the time of their wedding, the Bajaj family was one of very average, middle-class tradespeople; over the years, Jamnalal would build [[Bajaj Group|a large business empire]] and become one of India's earliest industrialists.
<ref>{{cite news |title=In Bajaj family, business sense over-rules ties|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/in-bajaj-family-business-sense-overrules-ties/933331/ |publisher=[[The Financial Express (India)|Financial Express]] |date=6 April 2012 }}</ref> Even more remarkable was Jamnalal's reaction to the advent of great wealth. Jamnalal became more frugal and abstinent as his wealth grew, rejoicing in frugality rather than luxury, an instinct deeply rooted in Indian culture. This self-denial and simplicity would hardly have been possible but for the fact that Jankidevi wholeheartedly shared her husband's instincts, rooted in Indian tradition, and likewise embraced simplicity. So affected and approving was [[Mahatma Gandhi]] of Jamnalal's demeanour that he repeatedly declared "Janmalal is my fifth son." Jamnalal was the outstanding exemplar of the concept of trusteeship propounded by Gandhi.

Jamnalal participated in the freedom struggle movement, and Jankidevi also took up khadi spinning on charkha, working for [[Gauseva]] and the betterment of the lives of harijans and their temple entry in 1928. After independence, she worked with [[Vinoba Bhave]] on [[Bhoodan movement]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Women in Gandhi's mass movements|author=Bharti Thakur |publisher=Deep and Deep Publications |year=2006|isbn=8176298182 |page=118 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qJesClv4z4C&q=Janaki+Devi+Bajaj&pg=PA118 }}</ref> She served as President of Akhil Bhartiya Goseva Sangh for many years since 1942.<ref name=":0" /> She was conferred [[Padma Vibhushan]] the second highest civilian award in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2007) |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |date=2007-05-30 |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/PadmaAwards1954-2007.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410024701/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/PadmaAwards1954-2007.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2009 }}</ref> She published her autobiography titled, ''Meri Jivan Yatra'' in 1965.

== Legacy ==
She died in 1979. Many educational institutions and awards have been set up in her memory, including [[Janaki Devi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies]], [http://hte.rajasthan.gov.in/college/ggcskota/ Janaki Devi Bajaj Government PG Girls College Kota] and 'Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha' established by [[Bajaj Electricals]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha |url=http://www.bajajelectricals.com/t-vikas.aspx |publisher=[[Bajaj Electricals]] }}</ref> The Ladies’ Wing of Indian Merchants’ Chamber instituted the IMC-Ladies Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar for Rural Entrepreneurs in the year 1992–93.<ref name=":0" />

==Works==
* Bajaj, Janaki Devi. ''Meri Jivan Yatra'' (My Life Journey). New Delhi: Martand Upadhaya, 1965 (1956).

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book |title=Jamnalal Bajaj: Gandhiji's 'fifth son'|author=Shriman Narayan|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India |year=1974}}
*[http://narishakti.org/info.htm Jankidevi Bajaj's Life - Gandhian Social Worker & True Disciple of Vinoba Bhave]

==External links==
* [http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/ Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation official website]

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bajaj, Janaki}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in social work]]
[[Category:Women writers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:People from Jaora]]
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:Bajaj Group]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Marwari people]]
[[Category:Gandhians]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of British India]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Indian women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Women autobiographers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Hindi-language writers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian women]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Social workers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women educators from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Educators from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Bajaj family|Janaki]]

{{India-activist-stub}}

Janaki Devi Bajaj - Revision history

->PQR01 at 13:53, 11 January 2022