: 74th Republic Day: 10 Pics From History of Those Who Built India’s Glittering Past #IndiaNEWS #Culture As the 74th Republic Day draws near, it beckons us to take a moment and reflect on the long

74th Republic Day: 10 Pics From History of Those Who Built India’s Glittering Past #IndiaNEWS #Culture
As the 74th Republic Day draws near, it beckons us to take a moment and reflect on the long glorious journey that the country has witnessed — the struggles endured in the endeavour to become a republic nation, the winning moments, the highlights, and the downfalls.

Here are a series of pictures that celebrate India’s illustrious saga through the years and, more importantly, the individuals who made these glorious moments possible.

1. A woman rises to heights

Bengali actress Suchitra Sen, Picture credits: Instagram: The Better India

It was unheard of in the movie industry for a female protagonist to be paid a handsome sum of money, let alone a lakh. However, Bengali actress Suchitra Sen broke this norm when she was paid a fee of Rs 1 lakh for her movies. In fact, this was even higher than most male leads were paid. ???

She was also the first Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival. This was at the 1963 Moscow International Film Festival, when she won the Silver Prize for Best Actress for Saat Pake Bandha.

2. The man who put Indian wrestling on the world map

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, also known as the ‘Pocket Dynamo’, Picture credits: Instagram: The Better India

In 1952, Indians watched with bated breath as Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, also known as the ‘Pocket Dynamo’, won the bronze medal at Helsinki Olympics. When he returned to his village in Goleshwar, he was given a hero’s welcome, with a procession of 151 bullock carts and drummers.

Recounting this day, his cousin Sampat Rao had said, “Every villager was basking in that moment of glory. Khashaba bhau brought the small village of Goleshwar, earlier a dot on the map, to the fore. The whole world knew and recognised Goleshwar as the village that gave India its first-ever Olympic champion. ??????

But what few know is the behind-the-scenes story of how Khashaba reached the Olympics. Not being able to afford the trip, he began asking people for help and the principal of the college where he studied, R Khardikar, went the extra mile and mortgaged his house for Rs 7,000.

3. A ray of hope for Rajasthan

Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, Rajasthan, Picture credits: Instagram: The Better India

Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, Rajasthan, brought in numerous positive developments in the state and surrounding regions. Besides being the first prince in Rajputana to grant a full charter of powers to a high court, he was credited with improving farming in the region. He even introduced prison reforms wherein the Bikaner prisoners weaved carpets that were then sold internationally.