Scholar and botanist, who was 'living encyclopaedia' of plants, wrote 30 books, lived 80 years without electricity, owned just two saris. Who was Dr Hema Sane?

At a time when education for women was still not as prevalent as it is now, one woman and women were encouraged to rule the home and hearth rather than pursue education; she was a trailblazer. Dr Hema Sane completed a PhD from Pune University. She also obtained an MPhil in Indology. She also taught botany at Abasaheb Garware College in Pune for nearly forty years, also serving as the head of the Botany Department. She wrote over 30 books that talk about botany, medicinal plants, sustainable development, plant structure, the trees important in Buddhism, and the plant life of India. Yet, for all of her illustrious life, Professor Sane lived an seemingly underwhelming life, living without electricity.

A Life Without Electricity

According to the New Indian Express, Dr Sane, a botanist, educator and author from Pune, spent more than 80 years living without electricity at her home in Budhwar Peth, a central neighbourhood of Pune, Maharashtra. She relied on daylight and traditional lamps for reading and writing, eventually switching to a solar-powered lamp in her later years.

A Home That Was A Mini Forest

Her residence was surrounded by towering trees, creepers, birds and various animals, creating a thriving natural environment that functioned as a self-sustaining ecosystem. Her unconventional way of life reflected a deep connection with nature and a simple, environmentally conscious approach to living.


Her pupil and colleague Professor Nivedita Ghayal, who heads the Botany department at MES Abasaheb Garware College, told New Indian Express more details about her life – she drew water from a well, lived in a small room built of iron sheets, and her house was a “mini forest".

Making Botany Easier To Remember

To make complicated Latin botanical names easier for students to recall, Dr Sane incorporated well-known Hindi songs and poetry into her teaching methods. She connected unfamiliar scientific terms with words, sounds and rhythms that students already recognised, making the names more memorable.

Rather than encouraging rote learning, she placed greater emphasis on helping students develop a firsthand understanding of plants. She motivated them to observe plant life closely and learn through field visits and practical experiences, believing that direct interaction with nature could make botanical education

Her students also talked about how she lived by 5R principles of refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle in her daily life.

Two Saris And A Kerosene Lamp

According to an Indian Express report, she owned just two saris and conducted her research, completed her PhD and wrote her books with the light from a kerosene lamp. Her house was a four-storey wada where her family had lived over four generations. It was frequented by birds, mongooses and squirrels. She had once told Mathrubhumi that after her demise, the house would belong to the animals.

Dr Hema Sane’s Final Years

Dr Sane died in Pune on September 19, 2025, aged 85.