Sarla Thukral married a pilot at the age of 16.
Such was Sarla Thukral’s dedication that after only eight hours and ten minutes of training, her instructor found her ready to fly solo.
The story of Sarla Thukral, who got her pilot’s license at the age of 21, is truly an inspiration to many. She was one of the first Indian women to fly solo.
Sarla Thukral was born in New Delhi in 1914 and married PD Sharma, also a pilot, at the age of 16 and moved to Lahore. She received immense support from her husband and his family in pursuing a career as a pilot. After her father-in-law enrolled her in the Lahore Flying Club, there was no looking back for her. In 1936, at the age of 21, Sarla obtained his aviation pilot’s license and flew the Gypso Moth solo.
Such was his dedication that it was only after eight hours and ten minutes of training that his instructor found him ready to fly solo. She completed her 1,000 hours of flying and became the first Indian woman to obtain an ‘A’ license. Thereafter, his aim was to obtain a ‘B’ licence, which would allow him to fly a commercial aircraft. However, during this time, World War II broke out and civilian training was suspended. Tragically, her husband died in an airplane crash in 1939.
At the age of 24, Sarla Thukral, a mother of two children and a widow, gave up her desire to become a commercial pilot. But, life had planned something else for him. She returned to Lahore after joining the Mayo School of the Arts and did a Diploma in Fine Arts. After partition she moved to Delhi with her two daughters. She met RP Thukral in Delhi, whom she married in 1948.
After her marriage to Thukral, she established herself as a successful designer, creating costumes and jewelery for the National School of Drama and designing sarees and paintings. Reportedly, one of his clients was the 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly, Vijayalakshmi Pandit.
Sarla Thukral died in 2008 but still serves as an inspiration to many women. She was also a pilot, a designer, a painter, a mother and even a successful entrepreneur.
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