Shakuntala Devi Biography: As we all know, Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mathematician, author, and mental calculator. She is commonly referred to as the “Human Computer.” This skill earned her a spot in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. She endeavoured to make numerical calculations easier for students. She died on April 21, 2013, at the age of 83 due to complications with her heart and kidneys.
Shakuntala Devi Biography
Early Life
Shakuntala Devi was born on 4 November 1929 in Bangalore, Karnataka. Her father, C V Sundararaja Rao, worked in the circus as a trapeze artist, lion tamer, tightrope walker, and magician. When she was about three years old, he uncovered his daughter’s ability to memorise numbers while teaching her a card trick. Her father quit the circus and took her on the road to demonstrate her mathematical aptitude. She accomplished this without formal education. She demonstrated her arithmetic skills at the University of Mysore at the age of six.
1944 saw Devi’s relocation to London, United Kingdom.
Shakuntala Devi career
Shakuntala Devi was an Indian author and mental calculator who was commonly referred to as the “human computer” due to her extraordinary ability to perform complex mathematical calculations quickly and accurately in her mind without the use of a calculator or other aids.
By the age of six, Devi was capable of performing complex arithmetic operations, which she began demonstrating as a young child. Throughout her lifetime, she performed in numerous countries and displayed her talents before audiences. In the United States in 1977, she defeated a computer in a sophisticated calculation contest.
In addition to her ability to perform mental calculations, Shakuntala Devi was a prolific author who wrote books on mathematics, puzzles, and astrology. She also authored several novels.
Devi was a staunch advocate for women’s rights and education, in addition to her work in mathematics. She believed in empowering women and encouraging them to pursue their ambitions despite any societal or cultural obstacles.
In 2013, Shakuntala Devi passed away at the age of 83. Her legacy continues to inspire and motivate people worldwide, and she is remembered as one of the greatest mathematicians and mental calculators in history.
Personal Life
Devi returned to India in the mid-1960s and married Kolkata-based Indian Administrative Service officer Paritosh Banerji. They separated in 1979 due to personal issues. In 1980, she ran as an independent candidate for Mumbai South and Medak in Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana) in the Lok Sabha elections. She ran against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, claiming she wanted to “protect the people of Medak from Mrs Gandhi’s deception”; she finished ninth with 6,514 votes (1.47 per cent of the vote). In the early 1980s, Devi relocated to Bangalore.
Devi was a notable astrologer and author of several publications, including cookbooks and novels, in addition to being a mental calculator. She began by composing short stories and murder mysteries, and she had a passion for music.
Death
Devi was committed to a hospital in Bangalore in April 2013 for severe respiratory problems. In the two weeks that followed, she experienced heart and kidney complications. She passed away in the infirmary on April 21, 2013. She was 83 years of age. Her daughter Anupama Bannerji is married to Ajay Abhaya Kumar and resides in London with their two daughters.
On what would have been her 84th birthday, November 4, 2013, Devi was honoured with a Google Doodle.
In May 2019, it was announced that a biopic titled Shakuntala Devi would be produced. Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh, and Jisshu Sengupta play supporting roles alongside Vidya Balan in the main role. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and made available on Amazon Prime Video worldwide on July 31, 2020.
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The Shakuntala Devi Facts
Here is some information regarding Shakuntala Devi:
- When she was only three years old, she first displayed her exceptional calculation skills.
- At the age of six, she gave her first public performance at the University of Mysore, where her ability to solve complex mathematical problems in her mind wowed the audience.
- In the 1950s and 1960s, she became an international sensation by touring countries and demonstrating her calculation abilities on television and radio programmes.
- In 1977, she competed in a calculation contest against a computer and triumphed, demonstrating her superiority over machine calculation.
- Shakuntala Devi was also a skilled author, having written numerous books on mathematics, puzzles, and astrology.
- She frequently spoke out against gender and societal barriers that prevented women from pursuing their ambitions.
- Devi was also an astrologer who purported to accurately foretell the future.
- In the 1990s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer but survived after receiving treatment.
- Shakuntala Devi died at the age of 83 in Bangalore in 2013.
