Google Doodle: Who is Anna Mani, mother of Indian weather forecast who declined diamond earrings for an encyclopedia?

Google Doodle is celebrating the 104th birth anniversary of Indian physicist and meteorologist Anna Mani, one of the first women scientists in the country whose life's work enabled India to make accurate weather forecasts. An avid reader, Mani had read all the books in the public library by the time she turned 12, showing her intellectual prowess at a tender age. She was also an icon for the women's empowerment movement in the country as she fought off patriarchy and ultimately became a leader in a field dominated by men. Here's Anna Mani's story. 

She was born in Kerala's Peermade in a Syrian-Christian family. Inspired by Mahatama Gandhi, she started wearing Khadi garments at an early stage. An anecdote that does the round is that she once refused her family's gift of a set of diamond earrings and demanded a set of Encyclopædia Britannica -- she was aged 8 at the time. 

She did her graduation from Chennai in physics and chemistry and in 1940, won a research scholarship for the Indian Institute of Science. She went to study physics at London's Imperial College but later gravitated toward meteorological instruments. 

Before going for further studies, she had also taught at WCC. At IIS, she studied spectroscopy under Sir C. V. Raman. 

She returned to India in 1948 with the aim of helping the then impoverished country make its own weather instruments. She excelled at her intended goal. She standardised nearly 100 weather instruments for production in India. She set up a workshop that made instruments for measuring wind speed and solar energy. 

"She excelled so much in this male-dominated field that by 1953, she became head of the division," Google Doodle said in its tribute to the great lady. 

Mani held the post of the Deputy Director General of IMD. In 1987, she was awarded the INSA K. R. Ramanathan Medal for her contributions to science. 

She died on August 16, 2001, in Kerala.