Google Doodle celebrates Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam’s 100th birthday

Google paid tribute to Punjabi writer and poet Amrita Pritam on Saturday with a doodle in celebration of what would have been her 100th birthday.

Born in Gujranwala, British India (present-day Pakistan), Pritam was one of history’s most prominent female Punjabi writers. She died in 2005 at the age of 86.

In the Google Doodle, Pritam is depicted writing while sitting in an open garden with black roses placed in front of her. The illustration references Pritam’s celebrated autobiography, “Kala Gulab” (“Black Rose”), in which she divulged details of her personal life, inspiring other women to speak on their own experiences with love and marriage.

The renowned novelist, poet and essayist is distinctly remembered for her poem, “Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu,” which mourned over the harrowing 1947 split of India and Pakistan, Google said.

Pritam published her first collection of verse when she was 16, and went on to publish more than 100 books throughout her career, spanning over six decades. While she is often referred to as the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, many of Pritam’s work was also written in Hindi and Urdu.

Pritam was nominated to Rajya Sabha, the Indian parliament, in 1986, according to Google. She also received many distinguished awards, include the Bharatiya Jnanpith literary award and one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Vibushan.