India’s First Woman ‘Mahout’ Parbati Barua Among 110 Padma Shri 2024 Recipients 

Despite the challenges faced by her family, Parbati’s dedication to elephants and her skills as a mahout have made her a notable figure in the field of animal conservation.

File photo of Parbati Barua with one of the elephants she tamed.

Source : Getty Images

Guwahati: President of India Droupadi Murmu on Thursday approved a total of 132 Padma Awards for the year 2024, including two duo cases (instances in which awards are counted as one), of which, five are Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri Awards.

Among the 110 Padma Shri recipients, three are from Assam, with one of them being Parbati Barua, India’s first female elephant ‘mahout’ (an elephant tamer and caretaker), who started taming wild elephants at the age of 14 to overcome stereotypes creating a space for herself in a traditionally male-dominated field. Parbati has been awarded Padma Shri for her contributions to social work (animal welfare).

The story of 67-year-old Parbati, popularly known as the ‘Hathi ki Pari’ (fairy of elephant), is fascinating and highlights her deep connection with elephants and dedication to their conservation. Born into the Royal Family of Gauripur, now a town in Assam’s Dhubri district, her early experiences in the jungles with her father Prakritish Chandra Barua shaped her interest in elephants. Parbati’s father, an eccentric hunter with a supernatural understanding of elephants, who had around 40 elephants in his royal stables, played a significant role in fostering her passion.

However, the family’s fortunes took a downturn in 1970 with the abolition of the Privy Purse, which ended the line of ‘Rajas’ (kings) of Gauripur. Stripped of their privileges and financial support, Parbati and her family faced significant challenges. Despite their reduced circumstances, Prakritish and Parbati returned to the forests, relying on selling elephants and providing their services to timber businesses to make a living.

Parbati’s skills as a mahout and her ability to capture and domesticate wild elephants became evident at a very young age. At the age of just 14, she successfully caught her first wild elephant, earning praise from her father. Over the years, she honed her expertise in rounding up and capturing elephants, becoming a sought-after figure in the jungles, tea plantations and rural areas of Assam, West Bengal and Odisha. Parbati also mitigated human-elephant conflicts with the help of scientific practices.

Parbati’s involvement in the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG), an organisation working in the field of animal protection, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international organisation which works for nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, further showcases her commitment to the conservation of these magnificent creatures. Despite the challenges faced by her family, Parbati’s dedication to elephants and her skills as a mahout have made her a notable figure in the field of animal conservation.

The Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of India, are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service, among others. While Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan is awarded for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in March or April.