Baba Amte Google Doodle: Google on Wednesday honoured Indian social worker and activist Murlidhar Devidas Amte, affectionately known as Baba Amte, on his 104th birthday anniversary. Amte, a strong believer of national unity, dedicated his life to serving those in need, especially those afflicted with leprosy after he encountered a man suffering from the disease in his 30s. He was also called Father Amte.

Born on December 16, 1914, in a wealthy family in Maharashtra’s Wardha district, Baba Amte was exposed early on to a life of privilege. He would hunt wild animals, play sports, and drive luxurious cars. His father was a British government official who was responsible for looking after the district administration and revenue collection. He acquired the name ‘baba’ from his parents. By his 20s, Baba Amte studied law and was running his own successful firm.

View photos Baba Amte Google Doodle: Baba Amte on his peace mission. (Express archive photo) More

Amte was aware of India's class inequalities throughout his childhood and at the age of 30 years, he left his practice in order to work alongside the underprivileged. As he set off on his mission, he met Indu Ghuleshastri, whose kindness towards an elderly servant touched Amte, and the two married soon after. In 1949 they established Anandwan - meaning "Forest of Bliss" - a self-sufficient village and rehabilitation centre for leprosy patients.

View photos Baba Amte Google Doodle: Punjab’s Governor Siddarth Shankar Ray calls on Baba Amte at Lala Lajpat Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh April 17, 1986. (Express archive photo) More

After meeting a man suffering from leprosy, Amte's life was changed forever. The sight of the man's decaying body filled him with overwhelming fear. Confronting that fear, Amte identified the state of "mental leprosy" that allowed people to feel apathetic in the face of this dreaded affliction. He said that the most frightening disease is not losing one's limbs, but losing one's strength to feel kindness and compassion. He dedicated his entire life to the cause and defied the social stigmas faced by leprosy patients by injecting himself with bacilli to prove that the disease was not highly contagious.

View photos Baba Amte Google Doodle: Baba Amte (social worker) Sadhana Tai, Dr Prakash Amte, Mandakini. (Express archive photo by Shekhar Soni) More

Working towards his belief in unity, Amte launched the first Knit India March in 1985. At age 72, he walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, a distance of more than 3,000 miles with the simple purpose to inspire unity in India. In a time of national strife, Amte was accompanied by 100 men and 16 women, all under the age of 35. He organised a second march three years later, travelling over 1800 miles from Assam to Gujarat.

View photos Baba Amte Google Doodle: Social worker Baba Amte along with school children at Anand Van. (Express archive photo by Shekhar Soni) More

Amte has won several awards including the 1971 Padma Shri Award, the 1988 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, and the 1999 Gandhi Peace Prize. His legacy lives on through his two sons who share their father's sense of compassion. He died on February 9, 2008