Sophia Wadia

{{Short description|Columbian-born Indian theosophist and writer (1901–1986)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Sophia Wadia

| image = Sophia_Wadia.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = 1901

| birth_place = Colombia

| death_date = 27 April 1986

| death_place = India

| restingplace =

| restingplacecoordinates =

| othername = Sophia Camacho

| occupation = Theosophist, literateur

| yearsactive =

| known for =

| spouse = B. P. Wadia

| domesticpartner =

| children =

| parents =

| website =

| awards = Padma Shri

}}

Sophia Wadia, née Sophia Camacho, was a Colombian-born naturalized Indian theosophist, littérateur, the founder of PEN All India Centre and the founder editor of its journal, The Indian PEN.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RtdGAgAAQBAJ&q=sophia+wadia&pg=PA218 | title=Indian English and the Fiction of National Literature | publisher=Cambridge University Press | author=Rosemary Marangoly George | year=2013 | pages=294 | isbn=9781107729551}}{{cite journal | title=Madame Sophia Wadia: 'Friend, Philosopher and Guide' | author=Nissim Ezekiel | journal=Indian Literature |date=July 1986 | volume=29 | issue=4(114) | pages=146–148|jstor = 23335225}} She also cofounded The Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore (now Bengaluru){{cite web | url=http://www.iiwcindia.org/ | title=IIWC | publisher=IIWC | date=2015 | access-date=27 April 2015}} and the Asian Book Trust, Bombay (now Mumbai). The Government of India honoured Wadia in 1960, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award, for her services to the nation.{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Shri | publisher=Padma Shri | date=2015 | access-date=11 November 2014}}

Biography

Sophia Camacho was born in 1901 in Colombia and did her education in her motherland, Paris, London and New York.{{cite web | url=http://blavatskytheosophy.com/theosophy-and-the-brotherhood-of-religions/ | title=Blavatsky Theosophy Group | publisher=Blavatsky Theosophy Group | date=2015 | access-date=27 April 2015}} In 1927, she met B. P. Wadia, an Indian theosophist on tour to European countries,{{cite web | url=http://www.teosofiskakompaniet.net/BPWadiaBiografi.htm | title=Teosofiskakompaniet | publisher=Teosofiskakompaniet | date=2015 | access-date=27 April 2015}} was influenced by his philosophy and married him in 1928. The next year, she went to India with her spouse and got involved in his activities. The Wadias founded several branches of the United Lodge of Theosophists in various places in Europe and founded the first Indian branch in Mumbai in 1929.

The couple founded the All India Centre of the International P.E.N. in Mumbai in 1930{{cite web | url=http://www.pen-international.org/centres/all-india-centre/ | title=Pen International | publisher=Pen International | date=2015 | access-date=27 April 2015}} and launched two journals, The India PEN and The Aryan Path. Sophia was the editor of The India Pen and remained in that position till her death. In 1945, she established The Indian Institute of World Culture in 1945 at Basavanagudi, near Bengaluru in the South Indian state of Karnataka. During this period, she published two books, The Brotherhood of Religions{{cite book | title=The Brotherhood of Religions | publisher=International Book House | author=Sophia Wadia | year=1936 | pages=288 | asin=B0007JF0TK}} in 1936 and Preparation for Citizenship{{cite book | title=Preparation for Citizenship | publisher=International Book House | author=Sophia Wadia | year=1941 | pages=79 | asin=B0007J5QOE}} in 1941, the latter with foreword by Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. The second edition of The Brotherhood of Religions came out in 1944 with foreword written by Mahatma Gandhi. She was also instrumental in the establishment of Asian Book Trust in Mumbai which later published her husband's renowned work, The Gandhian Way.{{cite web | url=http://www.rajayogabooks.com/products/the-gandhian-way | title=Raja Yoga Books | publisher=Raja Yoga Books | date=2015 | access-date=27 April 2015}}

Sophia Wadia continued her social life after her husband's death in 1958 and organized eleven All India Writers' Conferences. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1960.

Global policy

She was one of the signatories of the agreement to convene a convention for drafting a world constitution.{{Cite web |title=Letters from Thane Read asking Helen Keller to sign the World Constitution for world peace. 1961 |url=https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK01-07-B149-F04-022.1.8 |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=Helen Keller Archive |publisher=American Foundation for the Blind}}{{Cite web |title=Letter from World Constitution Coordinating Committee to Helen, enclosing current materials |url=https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK01-07-B154-F05-028.1.6 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Helen Keller Archive |publisher=American Foundation for the Blind}} As a result, for the first time in human history, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.{{Cite web |title=Preparing earth constitution {{!}} Global Strategies & Solutions {{!}} The Encyclopedia of World Problems |url=http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/strategy/193465 |url-status= |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=The Encyclopedia of World Problems {{!}} Union of International Associations (UIA)}}

Death

She died on 27 April 1986, at the age of 85.

Sophia Wadia

Biography

Global policy

Death

See also

References

Further reading