Pandita Ramabai: This Pandita rebelled on the condition of Hindu women, changed religion

In true sense, she was the first learned woman to draw attention to the poor condition of women in Hinduism in modern times and rebel on this issue. His name was Pandita Ramabai. She is called the first feminist of the country. He died 101 years ago on 05 April in Mumbai. He had all the scriptures of Hinduism by heart. With her arguments, she had gathered awe among the scholars of Hinduism. Indian scholars called her Saraswati. Then she became a rebel. Not only did inter-caste marriage but also changed religion. Converted from Hindu to Christian.

Ramabai had lost her parents in her childhood. After this, she kept on giving lectures all over the country. By the age of 22, Ramabai had become a great scholar of Sanskrit. He knew seven languages ​​like Kannada, Marathi, Bangla and Hebrew. She was an extraordinary woman of her time. She was a teacher, scholar, feminist and social reformer.

critic of patriarchal thinking
Pandita Ramabai was present like a big explosion in the civil society of 1870. She was well educated but rebellious and logical. She was opposed to Hindu traditions and thinking regarding women. Pitra was a harsh critic of authoritarianism. At first pundits called her Saraswati but as soon as she started speaking against Brahminical patriarchy and embraced Christianity, she became a rebel for all.

Then people got angry when inter-caste marriage took place.
When she reached Kolkata for lectures, her words so impressed the scholars and Brahmins of that time that she was given the title of Saraswati. But soon this society became infuriated when he married inter-caste and attacked conservatism.

Why people were not able to accept this marriage
In 1880, she married Vipin Bihari, a non-Brahmin Bengali lawyer. This marriage was not considered right because not only it was inter-caste but also inter-regional, which was like an earthquake in terms of those times. Her husband passed away only two years after this marriage but she left behind a small girl child.

Then he questioned Hindu traditions and beliefs
This was also the time when she became a rebel. He started questioning the status of women along with many traditions and beliefs of Hinduism. She used to criticize him with arguments. The conservatives were appalled by that. This was the period when Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Vivekananda had a lot of influence. She often used to say that Indian women not only need to be taught, but also need to be made teachers and engineers. This was the period in India when it was not considered good for women to go out of the house.

Made Poona home after husband’s death
A few years after her husband’s death, Rama settled in Poona. Here she established ‘Arya Mahila Samaj’ and started teaching girls. This organization also used to work to stop child marriage. In 1882, when the British government formed a commission for education in India, Rama presented many evidences in front of it. He gave the report in front of Lord Ripon.

Around 1882, Pandita Ramabai opened the Arya Samaj School in Pune and started teaching girls. She wanted that girls should also become engineers and doctors.

The Phule couple openly supported him
In 1883 she went to England. There he studied Christianity. He accepted Christianity only then. She and her younger daughter were baptized in the Church of England on 29 September 1883. After this she got engaged in educational work. During that time he studied English language there. After this, most of the people criticized Rama. But Rama got open support from one place, Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule couple openly supported Ramabai.

famous book written
Rama wrote a book during her stay in Britain, ‘The High Caste Hindu Women’. This book talked about the bad consequences of being a Hindu woman. Wrote on child marriage, Sati Pratha, caste and all such issues. Rama did a lot of work in Maharashtra as the head of Sharda Sadan. Opened a school in Gulbarga, Karnataka. Despite all the criticisms, she continued to work for the upliftment of widows. His book has been translated into many languages. This book is also in the famous books even today.

Asked Vivekananda why the distance from women in his country
In 1886 she went to America. Started giving lectures there. She lived there for many years. Meanwhile, when Swami Vivekananda reached the World Religion Conference in Chicago and gave a lecture in America showing the great side of Hinduism, he found that many women under the leadership of Rama Bai were protesting against him and raising questions. If their religion is so great then why is the condition of women in their country so bad. Questions were also raised on the neglect of women in Vivekananda’s speeches.

Ramabai’s reaction on Vivekananda’s speech
When Vivekananda gave a historic speech in Chicago in 1893, Ramabai wrote, I request my sisters of the West not to be satisfied with external beauty. Beneath the outward beauty of great philosophy, the intellectual discussions of learned men, and grand ancient symbols, there are dark dark chambers. In these, exploitation of all women and lower castes continues.

Vivekananda was angry
After some time Vivekananda wrote in one of his letters. “Mrs. Bull, I am appalled to hear of the scandals in which Ramabai’s circle is involving me. No matter how much a person tries from his side, but some people speak badly about him. In Chicago, I hear something like this everyday. These women are more Christian than Christians.

When Vivekananda went to the religious conference of Chicago, Ramabai strongly opposed his words. Especially on his lectures regarding the status of women in the country, he was also put in the dock.

A crater on the planet Venus is named after him
Ramabai’s work was praised all over the world. A crater on the planet Venus has been named after him. The churches of Europe celebrate 5th April as Feast Day in his memory. The Government of India has also issued a postal stamp in the name of Ramabai. The Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission created by him is still active today.

The name of this crater is The Meghavi Crater, which reflects the last part of Pandita Ramabai Meghavi’s full name. By the way, only three Indian women have got the credit that craters have been named after them. One of them is Anandi Bai Joshi, who was the first female doctor of India. The other was Zherusa Giraud, herself a female doctor. She was a Jewish woman. He was also decorated with Padma Shri in 1966.

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Tags: Hindu, Hindu women, Indian women, Rama devi, Women Achiever