Haryana’s House of Sangwan keeps on giving—4 generations of women racing, driving, flying

In Haryana’s Sangwan family, four generations of women are breaking the mould, from a 108-year-old ‘Udanpari’ great-grandmother to a 22-year-old ‘Sherni’ pilot-in-training.

Jhojhu Kalan: Living in the open fields and breathing in the pure, fresh air, Rambai never imagined she would break world records and earn the nickname ‘Udanpari’ over a century into her life. Now, with more than 200 medals to her name, she has another reason to celebrate: her great-granddaughter Zenith is training for her first solo flights as a pilot.

Haryana is known for its rich legacy of sporting achievements, but Jhojhu Kalan village in Charkhi Dadri district stands out, with one family spanning four generations of women achievers. The house walls and cupboards overflow with medals and certificates, and the neighbours proudly point visitors in the right direction. The House of Sangwan is a gift that keeps giving. Women of every generation are high achievers. And now, Zenith is the latest one to shatter the ceiling—only this ceiling goes through the clouds.

“When I told Nani in 2023 that I’ll become a pilot and will soon be flying aeroplanes, she was so happy to know that I’d be flying the same kind of plane she once travelled in to compete in games,” Zenith Gahlawat, 22, told ThePrint.

At 108, Rambai is too frail to fully register Zenith’s achievements. When the family shares updates about Zenith’s flying, she simply nods. She holds her certificates tenderly, as if they were the report cards of her own extraordinary journey.

Zenith’s mother, 42-year-old Sharmila Sangwan, works as a DTC bus driver and is a master of handling heavy vehicles. She taught Zenith to drive early, training her not just on cars but also on larger vehicles. Like her mother, Zenith loves being in control of massive and powerful vehicles, especially when they are thousands of feet above ground.

“It’s incredible to operate such a big machine. It trusts you, and you trust it. The plane does exactly what I command,” Zenith said. “It’s the thrill, the rush, the unbeatable high that I get when I fly.”