Inspiring odyssey of world’s first woman national hydrographer

Dr. Savithri Narayanan's inspiring journey from a Brahmin village to becoming the first woman national hydrographer in the world.

The journey of 79-year-old Savithri Narayananfrom Thrissur is an inspiring tale for women across the country. The first woman national hydrographer in the world, Dr. Narayanan retired as director general of Ocean Science and Canadian Hydrographic Services.

She began her journey from a humble family background in a Brahmin community in the 1950’s.

From the shackles of the social taboos of a community that once considered crossing the sea a taboo, she became an ocean science expert to travel the length and breadth of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans to study and note down the characteristics of the oceans as part of preparing hydrographic charts and years-long research.

Her memoir, Jeevitha Sagaram, was released by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday at the Kerala Legislative International Book Festival. Dr. Narayanan spoke to The Hindu about her eventful life and journey from a Kolangattukara, a village in the outskirts of Thrissur, to being the first woman national hydrographer in the world. The book is published by Samatha, a collective for gender justice.

It was the untimely death of her one-year-old sister that reinforced the thought of becoming self-reliant in her. The death of her young sister due to the absence of affordable treatment during that period forced her to turn her entire focus into education. However, considering the meagre revenue of her father from priestly duties, a higher study for her after matriculation was riddled with challenges. 

“I, however, was lucky throughout my childhood and career,” says Dr. Narayanan. “I decided to join BSc Maths as it was difficult for my father to find money to meet the expense for the study of science and engineering subjects.I was good at mathematics right from childhood and proficiency in maths helped me pass the graduation and post-graduation with first rank. Later, I joined a research programme at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and subsequently at Harvard University in London for a PhD programme on applied mathematics. I was guided by my peers and teachers at critical points in my career. Without their help, I cannot imagine this,” she says.

From being afraid to cross the Thekkinkadu Maidan in Thrissur after her classes at Mary’s College to visiting Paris and Genevaalone multiple times as part of different assignments, Dr. Narayanan’s is an inspiring journey. During her four-decade-old career, she has headed multiple international organisations. She held the roles of vice-chairperson of the UNESCO Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission, founder and first chairperson of Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission, first woman sub-commission president of World Meteorology Organisation, among others.