Indira Gandhi's 104th Birth Anniversary: How Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter got her 'Gandhi' surname

Indira Gandhi's 104th Birth Anniversary: How Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter got her 'Gandhi' surname

Sonali PimputkarUpdated: Friday, November 19, 2021, 07:45 AM IST
article-image
Indira Gandhi | File

Indira Gandhi, the Iron Woman of India, was the first and only female Prime Minister of India. Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, she was also the second longest-serving Prime Minister after her father.

Born on November 19, 1917, Indira Priyadarshini was a complex woman whom some remember as a woman with an incredible sense of politics and other see her as a woman who unleashed the darkest period of India’s democratic history.

Despite everything, she has left behind an unparallel legacy that continues to inspire generations. But have you ever wondered how the iconic leader ended up with the surname ‘Gandhi’? There are few theories that surround it.

Nehru surname

Raj Kaul is the earliest recorded ancestor of Jawahar Lal Nehru whose house was located on the banks of a canal. The surname ‘Nehru’ was acquired from ‘Nahar’ meaning a canal. Later, the surname Kaul was Gandhi dropped and ‘Nehru’ was adopted.

Gandhi surname

Indira Gandhi's husband Feroze Gandhi was born in a Parsi Family and his name was Feroze Jehangir Ghandy. His parents Faredoon Jehangir Ghandy and Ratimai lived in Mumbai. Feroze was an active participant in the Indian Independence Movement and considered Mahatma Gandhi as his idol. Thus he changed the spelling of his surname from ‘Ghandy’ to ‘Gandhi’.

RECENT STORIES

'Institutional Murder': Congress Leader Pappu Yadav Remarks On The Death Of Mukhtar Ansari

'Institutional Murder': Congress Leader Pappu Yadav Remarks On The Death Of Mukhtar Ansari

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Unveils Campaign Strategy In UP, Books 19 Chartered Planes For Star...

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Unveils Campaign Strategy In UP, Books 19 Chartered Planes For Star...

Kolkata: BJP Leader Dilip Ghosh Once Again Makes Controversial Statement Against TMC After ECI Sends...

Kolkata: BJP Leader Dilip Ghosh Once Again Makes Controversial Statement Against TMC After ECI Sends...

Kolkata: TMC Leader Mahua Moitra Skips ED Summons, To Start Campaigning For Upcoming Lok Sabha...

Kolkata: TMC Leader Mahua Moitra Skips ED Summons, To Start Campaigning For Upcoming Lok Sabha...

ED Questions AAP Leaders In Goa Liquor Policy Scam Investigation; Kejriwal's Custody Extended

ED Questions AAP Leaders In Goa Liquor Policy Scam Investigation; Kejriwal's Custody Extended