Search engine Google decorated its doodle with the image of Indian social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy on his 246th birth anniversary. The doodle has been created by designer Beena Mistry, based out of Toronto. Born on 22nd May in a Brahmin family of West Bengal, Roy is remembered as “Make of Modern India” and “father of the Indian Renaissance”.
Despite belonging to a conventional, typical Hindu family, he strongly opposed idol worship and orthodox Hindu rituals right from his childhood. Owing to different ideologies, he never really got along well with his father and one day he left for Himalayas and Tibet.
When he returned, his parents made him marry Devi Uma at a very young age so as to change his outlook but Raja Ram Mohan Roy continued to explore Hinduism. He read Vedas and Upanishads and even wrote a book in which he opposed ritualism and reasoned religion.
His life was full of struggles as his orthodox family cut all ties with him because of different views on religion. But he made a good use of all these adversities by traveling to different places and exploring people and their ideas. He strongly opposed social evils like Sati Pratha and fought for equal rights of women to re-marry and to hold property.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy went on to form the Bramho Samaj in 1828 which is said to be one of the first Indian socio-religious reform movements. At a time when no one really cared about the gender biases, Raja Ram stood up for the rights of the women and advocated that they should have a dignified life.
Not just social evils, but he also lent support to those who promoted English Language and Western Science. He strongly believed that education is really important for society while superstitions should be banished.
