India, Sept. 21 -- Hema Sane, a distinguished botanist and long-serving professor at Abasaheb Garware College, passed away on Friday at the age of 85. In addition to her academic legacy, Sane was widely recognised for her unique lifestyle, having lived without electricity for several decades in her old wada in the heart of Pune.

Born on March 13, 1940, Dr Sane dedicated her life to teaching Botany and authored over 30 books in the field. She resided in a dilapidated wada in Tambadi Jogeshwari Lane, where she consciously chose to live without an electricity connection.

Rejecting modern conveniences like refrigerators and televisions, she embraced a life of simplicity. She often explained her choice by saying, "Human beings need food and ...