Ramabai Ranade biography  | Complete information about Ramabai Ranade 

 Ramabai Ranade 

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Whenever the memory of ''Seva Sadan'' comes up, Ramabai Ranade's name never fails to come to mind. Today, more than 155 years have passed since she was born and it has been 94 years since she passed away.

If we think about the achievements of women who have passed away in the last century, the names of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Anandibai Joshi, Savitribai Phule, Laxmibai Tilak, Madam Cama, and Sister Nivedita come to mind. But if Ramabai Ranade's name is not mentioned among these names, these names will remain incomplete.

Complete information about Pandita Ramabai Ranade –

Name: Pandita Ramabai Mahadev Ranade

Birth: 25 January 1862

Death: 25 March 1924

Place of birth: Devrashtre District Satara

Maher's name: Yamunabai Kurlekar

Father: Madhavrao Kurlekar

Husband: Mahadev Govind Ranade

Yamuna Kurlekar of Purvashram got married to Mahadev Govind Ranade and became famous all over India for her self-efforts as Ramabai Ranade. After the death of Mahadev Ranade's wife, her father was trying to remarry her. When Madhavrao, Yamuna's father, came to know about this, he insisted that he should see his daughter. Govindrao liked the daughter as his daughter-in-law, but Mahadev did not agree to this. On the one hand, Yamuna was only 10 years old at that time and Mahadev Ranade was 31 years old. Moreover, Mahadev wanted to marry a widow (he was a supporter of widow marriage) but he bowed to his father's insistence and the marriage of the two was consummated.

After the marriage, Mahadev Ranade decided to educate Ramabai and started teaching her himself. He used to teach her for two hours every night. Initially, she did not even know how to read and write, but due to her intelligence and love of study, she developed a taste for education. Later, when it became difficult for Mahadev Ranade to teach due to work, Sagunabai Dev, a teacher from a women's training school, started coming to teach Ramabai. After some time, Mahadev Ranade was transferred to another village as a special judge, so he had to stay in the transferred village. Then Miss Harford, a teacher from the Zanana Mission in Wanawadi, was appointed to teach Ramabai English.

She used to teach Ramabai English for three and a half hours regularly. After she finished teaching, the head of the house asked Ramabai to go to the well and take a bath, and she was not allowed to move around the house. As per the head of the house, Ramabai started taking a bath in the well every day after being taught, which led to her health deteriorating. When this matter reached Mahadev Ranade, he told the family that there was no need to take a bath, and therefore the head withdrew and after being taught, Ramabai was freed from taking a bath in the well.

Some important things from Ramabai's life –

Since Ramabai was intelligent in nature, she did well in the field of education within a few years. At the age of 20, Ramabai was included in the committee appointed by the Education Department to appoint teachers. This committee consisted of all men, with the only woman being Ramabai Ranade. At a time when women's education was considered taboo, Ramabai got higher education with the help of her husband. Not only did she get educated herself, but she also made a lot of efforts to ensure that other women got educated.

While playing the role of a good housewife, she also helped her husband in social work. Ramabai gained special proficiency in Marathi, English, Hindi and Bengali. Taking inspiration from the work of Mahadev Ranade, Ramabai actively participated in the women's reform movement. She successfully served as the president of the women's organization 'Seva Sadan' in Pune. She established a school for girls in Pune called 'Hujurpaga'. After the death of Mahadev Ranade in 1901, Ramabai devoted herself to national work. Ramabai frequently visited the Yerwada Mental Hospital and Jail in Pune and attended the women's prayer meetings there to boost their morale. While repaying her social debt, Ramabai used to visit many hospitals. She would inquire about the patients with enthusiasm and gift them fruits and books. She would go to the children's reform homes and teach them moral lessons, tell stories, and feed the children and give sweets. When there was a major famine in Gujarat and Kathewad in 1913, Ramabai visited them and also helped the drought-stricken people. During Ashadhi and Kartiki, Ramabai would go to Alandi with the workers of 'Seva Sadan'. She would provide free medicine to the women who came to the festival. Seeing Ramabai's participation in social work, many women's participation in social work increased. When the Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Parishad was held in Mumbai in 1904, Ramabai Ranade held the post of president of this conference. Many branches of 'Seva Sadan' were established under the guidance of Ramabai. Many female nurses were trained through this Seva Sadan. Activities like girls' training center, hostel were implemented through Seva Sadan at that time.

Death of Ramabai Ranade –

Ramabai breathed her last in the Seva Sadan building in Pune in 1924.