Sarala Devi Chaudhurani Biography 
Sarala Devi Chaudhurani was a social worker who strived for the uplift of women. She is the founder of first women organization in India - Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910. She was the niece of legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore and granddaughter of Debendranath Tagore. Her mother Swarnakumari Devi was the first successful woman novelist of Bengali literature. She was married to Pandit Rambhuj Dutt Chaudhary, a journalist, and member of Arya Samaj and Congress. Their son Dipak Dutt was married to Radha, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi. She is widely regarded as the first woman political leader from Bengal in freedom struggle movement.
Sarala Devi was born in Kolkata on September 9, 1872 to Janakinath Ghosal, who has served as the secretary of Bengal congress and noted Bengali writer, Swarnakumari Devi, a member of great Tagore family. She became a graduate in English literature from Calcutta University in the year 1890 with Padmavati Gold Medal. Later she became associated with Indian freedom struggle movement. Her marriage happened in 1905. She was married to Pandit Rambhuj Dutt Chaudhary, an active member of Indian national congress and journalist.
Gandhi saw Sarala for the first time when she was conducting an orchestra, playing a song written for Indian National congress. She was very dear to Gandhi. Later her son was married to Gandhi’s granddaughter. She founded the first women's organisation in India, Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910. She lived in a time when education was taboo to females, even if born in aristocratic high class families. Her organization aimed at educating women and women upliftment. It opened branches at Lahore, Allahabad, Delhi, Karachi, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Bankura, Hazaribagh, Midnapur and Kolkata. She passed away on August 18, 1945 aged 72.
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Updated: January 07, 2014
