Childhood

Tara Sharma (nee Siddha Bharadwaj) was born in a very well-educated, widely respected family of scholars and priests in Jaipur(Rajasthan), India She was named after the Goddess Tara(Great Wisdom) Even as a bonny baby she carried the aura of high-intelligence, physical and mental strength which would help her , later in life, shine as an outstanding medical practitioner and Health-Services Director and a torch-bearer for uplifting women in Rajasthan. Growing-up, she was a radiant example to her sisters and cousins for excelling in academics and the fine arts:as a generous, caring, loving personality -ready to motivate people to achieve their potential-a " role model" she exemplified all her life for her family, relatives and the community at large.

Schooling and College

Even at a time and place where girls and women did not study much, Education and pursuit of knowledge were of prime importance to the Siddha Bharadwaj family .However Tara Bharadwaj flourished at the best schools in Rajasthan.She excelled in the advanced academic syllabus Also, as she mused later in life, the school's archery, horse-riding classes and classical music sessions were of great interest to her too.

After finishing school her mind was set to attend the prestigious Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi (which prides itself for graduating with honors this first lady doctor from Rajasthan) For such an accomplishment as hers the Jaipur Maharajah had granted her full scholarship, received her back home "at par with royalty" into the walled city of Jaipur and honored her in public with a "medal of distinction"

Her next advanced degree was in Public Health.After academics, she trained and worked hard to become the most prominent lady doctor in Jaipur for three decades and earned the respected citywide household title " Doctor Tara." After her career as a practising doctor, she was appointed in the state of Rajasthan as one of the Directors of Rajasthan State HealthServices - a position she held till her career retirement.

Family

Dr KNSharma( A bright, Uttar- Pradeshborn Anaesthesiologist with specialization from MtSinai MedicalCenter, NewYork) and Dr Tara married in 1945and they settled down in Jaipur in 1946. Their first house was right across the street from her hospital, Zenana Hospital.(He commuted to the SMS Hospital) They had planned to start a family early and in May,1948 they became proud parents of their first son Bhaskar. Their second son Gautam was born in July 1950 and daughter Abha in 1953. Dr Tara took on maternal responsibilities in her usual confident stride. Along with working long, dedicated hours at the hospital, she would walk home, during lunch-break to tend to her children. Her schedule became busier when the children started going to school and they had a tutor came to the house as well.

Relatives and guests were welcome at any time to visit or to stay. Meals, snacks and tea were served around the clock.Neighbors weremostly families of other hospital doctors. Evenings and weekend get-togethers were informal and fun-packed events inclusive of relatives and friends.

Drs Sharmas completed and moved into their own large bungalow- house on Devi Marg, Bani park,Jaipur in 1960 Their children grew-up and were married from there .The expanded family continues to flourish and prosper in Jaipur, Delhi and around the world( with two grand children and 4 greatgrand children living as far west as inSeattle,USA)

Dr Tara's subsequent and future generations

Her children have blossomed in several distinctive roles/ vocations, married and pass on Dr. Tara's genetic excellence, and core values onto her grandchildren and great grandchildren(present and ones to come)

As each generation pioneers and blazes their own unique and progressive trails, the entire direct and extended famiy, relatives and friends pay homage, with gratitude, to her departed soul. May God bless her soul withCelestial Peace........Peace

.......Peace...

Tributes from many

Tributes, from around the world, have been coming in over the phone, in-person and via email. Here are a few extracts:

"My heart and soul grieve for her.  I will always knew that the brother-sister connection between the late Dr Herman Sharma of USA and Dr Tara Sharma were meant to be. A chapter of history has been closed and another chapter will continue."

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"She was an inspirational woman and a pioneer in her times as a physician in conservative Rajasthan.  She will be missed by all who were blessed to have known her."

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".She had a good, full life and she must be happy that she is with your dad [KN Sharma].

It was a long, perfect partnership and they need to be together again."
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" May God bless her soul"

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"Om Shanti Om"

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Click on the comment link below to this post your own tribute to Dr Tara Sharma / Amma.

Tributes : From Dr S.N.Sharma(nephew)

The demise of chachiji is the beginning of the end of our senior generation.Her passing away took me back in time to nineteen forties when I accompanied the" Barat and escorted her from Jaipur to Aligarh On the way there, I stood besides the chatting bride and the groom at the Agra fort station(midway). I was quite small, yet was inflated with  sheer joy and pride to have our chachi who was a scholar from the reputed Lady Hardinge College,Delhi and the first lady medico from Rajasthan.To all of us it was quite prestigious to have a new  family member who had a blend of high tradition, decent culture impeccable professionalism and stood as an epitome of progress and discipline.With her she brought an educative outlook, respect for old traditions and the guiding force for progress and prosperity. At that time this was very fascinating and consequently many of us derived impetus from her who remained amicable,affectionate, motivating with firm belief in stronger family ties. Her longlasting supporting role with Buaji and helping her throughout remains as a perfect exampleof herdedication for family. Many of us eclipsed around her, got inspirations, guidance,developed and quite a few settled in Jaipur.Her belief in traditional values was apparent when she confessed she had highest respects for her Tauji{Sidhji}since he sacrificed his life for the progress to his children. Her demise has deprived us of a lightening inspiration,a symbol of progress and discipline and of course someone whom we owe a lot... and loved. May the Almighty grant peace to the departed soul and solace to all of us(her children).   L

 From:
 Dr.S.N.Sharma

Tributes: Tushar Sharma(grandson)

Nature has it that we come into this world with no possessions and we bring hope and joy to those who care for us. And we leave this world with nothing, but leave memories and our imprint on everyone we touch.

Amma (my paternal grandmother) passed away yesterday. My brother Gaurav and I grew up with her and Baba in our family home, and they had a significant influence in who I am and will be. There is much that I remember about those years; I've attempted to capture some of those thoughts here.

One of the things I recall fondly is how she used to come to the dining room and give me company if I was having lunch alone (usually because I had come home late from school and no one else was home). There wasn't much conversation, but she used to patter around making sure that everything that had been made was on the table and served up for me to choose from. In the summer, she used to make a ginger-chilli achar that was and is still one of my favorites. I wish I had perfected that recipe! :)

Amma was always organized about the supplies that were needed for the house. She had everything ready for the milkman in the morning and took great care with the milk coupons. She used to know when the sabzi-wala was calling in our street, and would assign someone to go get the sabzis for the day. She also liked to put away things in her storage boxes - some of which stayed useful over the years and some that weren't very useful to begin with :). Over the years I've stumbled onto many of those collectibles and recalled her sentimentality with each one! Of the possessions she had, two that interested me a lot as a teenager were Hindi editions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They were large and heavy volumes, and I remember sitting in their room in front of the very effective large cooler and reading those books. I am now reminding myself to bring those back with me to Seattle the next time I visit... as a keepsake of her memory.

Sentimentality runs in the family, and I do think I got the marshmallow gene from her; she used to get emotional very easily when relating stories of her life. We were very fortunate to visit her in 2009 with Appu (who was 15 months old at the time) and she very much enjoyed our trip and the little pattering and babbling that Appu delighted her with. I was able to record many conversations with Amma at that time... and playing them back later reminded Appu of her. I am so glad Appu got to meet her great-grandmother!

In her later years, Amma couldn't hear very well on the phone (though she could make conversation reasonably well in person). Rather than tell us about her ails, she would instead ask about our lives, and give her blessings and love to everyone each time. It is especially nice to think about those phone calls and the positive energy she always sent our way. She showed us how important it is to have concern for others' well-being and care for friends and family.

We are all very sorry that her positive energy is longer with us in our day to day lives. But she has had a strong and ever-lasting influence on our minds, our lives and our hearts. We will miss her dearly.

Tributes: Saurabh Sharma(grandson)

"Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his
own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as
near as possible to the Truth"

-          Swami Vivekananda


Amma was fond of using quotes to inspire others to realize the ideal
in their own lives. It seems fitting to reflect on her passing through
the words of one of her favorite sources. Her life itself was a prime
example of making the ideal come true. From academics, the medical
profession, and family – her accomplishments themselves served as an
inspiration to others. However, what I will remember most about her
are my experiences with her and the impact that she had in shaping who
I am today.

Some of my earliest memories as a child were of Amma ensuring the well
being of all her grandchildren -- a loud and rowdy bunch with a knack
for getting in trouble when no one was watching. She would make sure
that the whole house was mobilized to be on the lookout for signs of
impending mischief and that were were always enough eyes and ears open
to make sure things never got too far out of line.

Later on during my primary school years, when I would return to Devi
Marg on weekends from boarding school, Amma would personally see to it
that I was in good spirits and well fed and would encourage me to do
my best. I remember most of my first few months at the boarding school
were spent scheming of ways to jump over the school walls and make my
escape, but she would always find a way to make me realize the
importance of sticking to the path at hand. I would go back each time
with renewed energy and the determination to persevere through.

Even over the many years that followed, she was constantly able to
make the most of any situation and would provide encouragement over
the phone or by writing inspirational quotes on birthday cards. While
she never got a chance to meet her great-grandsons, I know that the
lasting imprint she left on her entire family will be part of shaping
their lives as they grow as it was a part of shaping mine.

While she is gone, her legacy lives on in the lives she touched and
those she inspired. We’ll miss her greatly but will never forget her
love and guidance through the years.

Saurabh Sharma

Tributes in hindi (Shradhanjali)