Savitri Khanolkar: The Lady behind the Design of Param Vir Chakra

Savitri Khanolkar: The Lady behind the Design of Param Vir Chakra

Savitri Khanolkar

In the years just after India’s independence, as the dust of Partition still hung heavy over the land, the young nation was busy stitching together its symbols of identity — its flag, its constitution, and its honour of valour. It was then that destiny chose an unlikely artist to give form to the ultimate symbol of military heroism: The Param Vir Chakra — the Medal of the Supreme Brave.

Her name was Savitri Khanolkar. But she was not Indian by birth. Born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros in Switzerland in 1913, she grew up amid the snow-clad Alps, far from the heat and heartbeat of India. Yet, her soul — inexplicably, irresistibly — was drawn eastward. In 1929, when she was still a teenager, she met Vikram Ramji Khanolkar. From a Marathi family, Khanolkar was a young Indian Army cadet undergoing training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, and was visiting Switzerland during a term break. They met in a social gathering and Eve fell in love with him, kind of love at first sight. Her father, however, did not agree to let her go away to a faraway country like India but Eve was a determined young woman, and her love was strong. She followed Vikram to India a few years later, and in 1932, they got married in Lucknow. She subsequently changed her name to Savitri Bai Khanolkar.

After marrying him she embraced India not as an adopted home, but as her true homeland. Savitri Bai identified so closely with Hindu traditions and ideals, that her integration into Indian society was smooth and effortless. She became a vegetarian, learned to speak fluent Marathi, Sanskrit and Hindi and learned Indian music, dance and painting. She was so fascinated with Indian culture she read extensively from Hindu scriptures and had a deep knowledge of India’s ancient history and legends. She studied the Vedas and Upanishads, and immersed herself in Indian art and philosophy. Her transformation was not of name alone — it was of spirit. She lived and breathed Indian culture until she became, in essence, more Indian than many born of the soil.

The Call of a New Nation

In 1947, when India became free, the government began to design its own gallantry awards to replace the colonial ones. The challenge was immense — the medal for supreme valour had to be distinctly Indian, yet timeless, noble, and sacred. Major General Hiralal Atal, then heading the Awards Committee, turned to Savitri Khanolkar, knowing her profound understanding of Indian symbology. “It must not be a mere medal,” he told her.

“It must be a sacred emblem of sacrifice.”

And so she began to sketch. She drew inspiration from the ancient warriors of Bharat, from the courage sung in the Mahabharata, and from the divine protectors in Indian mythology.

The Birth of the Param Vir Chakra

What emerged from her imagination was more than a design — it was a tribute cast in bronze. She chose the motif of Dadhichi, a Vedic Rishi who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for good over evil. Asked by the Gods for help in overcoming a fearsome demon, Vrutrasur, Dadhichi gave up his body to let the Gods fashion a “Vajrayudh “- a deadly thunderbolt – from his spine. Armed with this Vajrayudh, Indra slew Vrutrasur. This was the theme to design the highest gallantry award “ Paramvir Chakra “.

Around it, she placed a four-lion motif, echoing Emperor Ashoka’s Sarnath pillar — a symbol of Dharma, Shakti, and Shourya…righteous courage. Thus, every element of the medal speaks of valour born of sacrifice, of strength tempered by duty, and of India’s eternal spiritual backbone. It was as though she distilled the soul of Indian heroism into a single emblem — and the nation gained not just a medal, but a mystic invocation of bravery itself.

A Personal Twist of Fate

Years later, during the Indo-Pak War of 1947-48, the very first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra would be Major Somnath Sharma — the son of Major General Amarnath Sharma, who was Savitri Khanolkar’s close family friend. When the news reached her, Savitri wept — not out of sorrow, but of awe. Her creation had found its first hero, her “Medal of Immortality” had found a soul worthy of it.

Savitri Khanolkar never sought fame. She faded quietly into history, content to have served India through art, devotion, and spirit. But every time a soldier’s chest glitters with the Param Vir Chakra, her silent genius shines with it. Savitri Bai had always done a lot of social work which she continued in her later years, working with soldiers and their families and refugees who had been displaced during the Partition. After her husband died in 1952, she found refuge in spirituality and retired to the Ramakrishna Math. She wrote a book on the Saints of Maharashtra that is still popular today. Savitri Bai Khanolkar died on 26 November 1990.

Her story reminds us that love for a nation is not bound by birthplace — it is born of heart and sacrifice. She was the foreign-born daughter of Mother India, the artist who carved eternity into metal, the woman who gave form to India’s supreme symbol of valour. Her design immortalised India’s bravest. And through it, she herself became immortal.

Image source: Google.

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Wing Commander Sudarshan

Wing Commander Sudarshan was an Airforce Pilot for 25 years and currently a commercial pilot. Author of 'Hasiru Hampi', he has interests in Indian History, Culture, and Heritage.