Homai Vyarwalla, India’s first woman photojournalist was best known for documenting the country’s transition from a British colony into an independent nation. Her iconic photographs include the first flag hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort in 1947, Lord Mountbatten and his wife taking the final salute at Rashtrapati Bhavan before returning to England, and the funerals of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
She received her first assignment – to photograph a picnic – while she was still in college. It was published by a local newspaper, and soon she started to pick up more freelance assignments.
She began to draw more attention after her photographs of life in Mumbai were published in The Illustrated Weekly of India magazine.
The Vyarawallas moved to Delhi in 1942 after they were hired to work as photographers for the British Information Service.
Ms Vyarawalla, one of few female photojournalists working at the time in Delhi, was often seen cycling through the capital with her camera strapped to her back.
Credit : BBC
Picture Credit : Google
