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Savitri Khanolkar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth20 July 1913

Age77 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceNeuchâtel, Switzerland

ProfessionPainter, Designer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidow (at time of death)

SpouseVikram Ramji Khanolkar

FamilyDaughter - Kumudini Khanolkar

Savitri Khanolkar Biography

Savitri Khanolkar, born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros, was a Swiss-born Indian artist and designer best known for creating the designs of India’s highest warti

Early life and background

Savitri Khanolkar was born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros on 20 July 1913 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Her father, André de Maday, worked in academia as a sociology lecturer and librarian linked with institutions in Geneva, and her mother, Marthe Hentzelt, was a professor at the Rousseau Institute. Her mother died in childbirth, and she was raised by her father. Savitri began her schooling in Geneva and spent childhood summers by the seaside, where she developed an early interest in Indian culture and traditions through reading and study.

She later moved to India after marrying Vikram Ramji Khanolkar in 1932. Following her marriage she completed formal studies at Patna University, where she deepened her knowledge of Indian culture, Hindu religious texts and the Vedas. Over time she adopted Indian cultural practices and identified strongly with her adopted homeland.

Career

Savitri Khanolkar worked as a painter and designer. Her best-known contribution was the design of several of India’s gallantry awards established after independence. When the Indian Army sought new designs for its highest honours, Major General Hira Lal Atal enlisted her help because of her deep familiarity with Indian symbolism and tradition.

Her design for the Param Vir Chakra incorporated classical Indian motifs: the central motif features the national emblem on a raised circular platform, surrounded by depictions of the Vajra and the Bhawani sword associated with the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The medal is cast in bronze and is suspended from a 32 mm purple ribbon; the reverse bears the award name in Hindi and English separated by lotus motifs. Savitri also designed the Maha Vir Chakra and the Vir Chakra, both wartime awards, distinguishing each by metal, form and ribbon colours and incorporating the national emblem and lotus separators in their inscriptions.

Beyond wartime decorations, she created peacetime honours including the Ashoka Chakra, the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra. These designs share a consistent visual language—circular forms, the Ashok Chakra motif, lotus wreaths and bilingual inscriptions—while differing in metal, dimensions and ribbon treatments. Savitri additionally designed a General Service Medal, used until 1975, which featured Shivaji’s sword on the obverse and a lotus bud on the reverse.

Public profile

Savitri was fluent in several languages, including Hindi, English, French, Marathi and Konkani. She was known for a simple personal style and for embracing Vedanta; after her husband’s death she joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1952. Her social commitments included work to assist people displaced during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan.

She was also an author: her published work includes a book titled The Saints of Maharashtra. Those who met her noted her command of Indian cultural traditions and her role in shaping national symbols, which brought her into contact with leading personalities of her era.

Personal life and family

Savitri married Vikram Ramji Khanolkar, who retired as a Major General in the Indian Army. The couple had a daughter, Kumudini Khanolkar. Her marriage drew opposition from some quarters at the time because she was European-born and because of contemporary norms governing officers’ marriages, but she settled in India and considered herself essentially Indian.

Later years and death

Described by acquaintances as modest and devoted to Indian spiritual practices, Savitri continued her cultural and social work through her later life. She died of natural causes in New Delhi on 26 November 1990 at the age of 77.

Latest updates

No later professional works or activities beyond those listed above are recorded here. Her legacy endures through the enduring designs of India’s wartime and peacetime gallantry awards, which remain in official use and public recognition.

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This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Savitri Khanolkar, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Design of the Param Vir Chakra

Designed India’s highest wartime gallantry award incorporating the Vajra and the Bhawani sword along with the national emblem and lotus motifs.

Designs of Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra

Created designs for India’s second- and third-highest wartime gallantry awards, each with distinct metal, emblem placement and ribbon colours.

Designs of Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra

Designed India’s principal peacetime gallantry awards featuring the Ashok Chakra motif, lotus wreaths and bilingual inscriptions.

General Service Medal (design)

Designed a General Service Medal awarded for theatre service, discontinued in 1975; featured Shivaji’s sword on the front and a lotus bud on the reverse.

1975
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Career Highlights

  1. Designed the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry award
  2. Designed the Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra
  3. Designed the Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra (peacetime gallantry awards)
  4. Authored The Saints of Maharashtra
  5. Active in social work assisting people displaced during the 1947 partition
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Savitri Khanolkar born?

Savitri Khanolkar was born on 20 July 1913.

What is Savitri Khanolkar known for?

Savitri Khanolkar is known for painter, Designer.

What is Savitri Khanolkar’s marital status?

Savitri Khanolkar's marital status is listed as Widow (at time of death).

Who is Savitri Khanolkar married to?

Savitri Khanolkar is publicly listed as married to Vikram Ramji Khanolkar.