Pandita Ramabai wrote a book about her travels in the USA - https://www.amazon.com/Pandita-Ramabais-American-Encounter-Peoples/dp/0253341906 - originally in Marathi and translated into English, in the same category as the famous book by Alexis de Tocqueville. The book includes a description of American life, ranging from government to economy, education to domestic activity from the unique viewpoint of an Indian woman in America.
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I love the Overlooked! Each woman's life, each story, opens another window on the unsung
achievements of women.
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Pandita Ramabai was a figure we never heard about growing up in India. Thanks to NYT, we now know about her accomplishments. It amazes me that social minded Britishers who went to India to set up educational and social institutions, even through Catholic churches, were celebrated. Yet, this Indian born lady was ignored.
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Great article, thanks for sharing her story. We need to inspire the next generation.
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Interestingly, when I first move to the Clinton N.J. area in the mid 70s, there was a church on Leigh street that was the Ramabai Mukti Mission.
Little did I know about her, till today.
What a great lady she was. Thanks for this wonderful article.
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Just amazing person! Thank you NYT for publishing this, i had no clue. She was so ahead of her time. So right about eduction being indestructible wealth.
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I do not remember reading about this lady in any of my history courses. I read about Christian History in middle school and high school and heard no mention of her. Her life story is an inspiration to go above and beyond the status quo that culture sets for a person's life.
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Kudos to this lady
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I just finished teaching her from the Norton Anthology of World Lit! And one of my Native American students actually, did a paper on her!
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In the special feature, The Details, of the Ray Apu trilogy, we see Apu's father doing religious teaching to women all in white dress. We are told they are widows. This is found in Aparajito, part 2. Where it is also clear that women are second class citizens at best, domestically dominant perhaps, but limited in worldly concerns like education. NYT may be a day late, but finally not a dollar short.
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Wow! Ramabai was far ahead of her times in India. An accomplished woman who worked hard for her society should be an example for courage and character for everyone, women and men.
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