*Ahilyabai Holkar Remembered as a Timeless Icon of Empowerment at IIAS Shimla*
*Prof. Chandrakala Padia’s lecture marks a pivotal moment in the national commemoration of Ahilyabai Holkar’s Tricentenary*
Shimla, May . A special lecture on “Ahilyabai Holkar: The Universal Icon of Women Empowerment” was organized today at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla, in honor of the 300th birth anniversary of Rajmata Ahilyabai Holkar. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Chandrakala Padia, Chair of the Lokmata Ahilyabai Tricentenary Celebration Committee and former Chairperson of IIAS.
Prof. Padia, a noted political scientist and gender studies scholar, described Ahilyabai Holkar not merely as a queen but as an ethical visionary who transformed governance into an instrument of public service. “She was a sovereign who redefined power through compassion, justice, and an unflinching commitment to duty,” said Prof. Padia.
She traced Ahilyabai’s extraordinary journey—from widowhood and societal constraint to becoming one of India’s most admired monarchs. Her reign was marked by administrative brilliance and spiritual patronage. Ahilyabai restored India’s sacred geography, from Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi to Somnath and Rameswaram, sponsoring temples, rest houses, ghats, and wells across the country.
“She was accessible to her people, held daily public hearings, and was seen as a maternal figure who ruled with empathy and resolve,” Prof. Padia noted. Her legacy, the speaker argued, resonates powerfully today as nations strive to include women’s voices in leadership. “Ahilyabai stood as a woman who thrived within the structures of patriarchy while radically reshaping them.”
Prof. Shailendra Raj Mehta, Vice-Chairman of IIAS, delivered the inaugural remarks, and Prof. ShashiPrabha Kumar, Chairperson of the Governing Body, IIAS, presided over the session, offering deep philosophical context to Ahilyabai’s enduring relevance.
The event began with a welcome address and poetic tribute by Shri Akhilesh Pathak, SPRO, IIAS, who moderated the session. The program concluded with the National Anthem. Scholars, fellows, faculty, and participants from across India joined both in person and virtually, making the event a meaningful contribution to the national reflections on Ahilyabai Holkar’s tricentenary.