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Portaying India: Maharashtra with Savitribai Phule
Portraying India
Perceptions of India, inspired by the lives of those who embody its most authentic spirit
Artistic interpretation of Savitribai’s life by artist Malvika Asher
In this edition, we look at Maharashtra from the perspective of revolutionary educator Savitribai Phule
What can be said about a woman who has been bestowed the title ‘Krantijyoti’, the ‘Lamp of the Revolution’? If there was ever a flame that shone a bright light on a better future for those who were often misrepresented, it was Savitribai. One of the first female teachers of India, a reformer and a poet, her entire life was dedicated to the feminist movement in India. Not one to be easily scared by the social narratives that sought to reduce her, she followed up her idealism with actions to make them a reality.
Humble Beginnings
Savitribai was born in 1830 in the village Naigaon outside Pune. Born in what at that time was considered a ‘lower caste’, she faced discrimination in her childhood that may have furthered her resolve to educate herself. Not much is known about her life before her marriage to Jyotirao Phule at the age of 9. As luck would have it, Jyotirao was a bit of a revolutionary himself. When he discovered Savitribai’s desire to learn, he educated her and Sagunabai Shirsagar, his cousin sister, at their home along with working at their farm. Becoming fond of teaching, Savitribai trained at Ms Farar’s Institution in Ahmednagar.
Public education was yet to emerge and there were only a few missionary schools which were “open to all”. This was the context in which Jyotiba, at the age of 21, and Savitri, 17, opened a school for women in 1848. It was the country’s first school for women started by Indians. By the end of 1851, Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule were running three different schools for girls in Pune. To continously engage girls and women they developed a curriculum and teaching methods that differed from that of government schools.
An Unlikely Poetess
A painting in the Madhubani style by Delhi-based artist Malvika Raj, titled ‘Mai’, celebrating the life of Savitribai Phule.
Savitribai was also one of the first published women in modern India. She published Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892. She penned a poem entitled “Go, Get Education” in which she encouraged those who are oppressed to free themselves by obtaining an education. In an expression of her passion, she wrote multiple poems which emphasized the importance of getting an education and learning English, which would open prospects for the hitherto oppressed men and women. She knew that words had the capacity to touch one’s hearts and encourage people to stand up for their rights.
“Work, gather wisdom and riches, All gets lost without knowledge We become animal without wisdom, Sit idle no more, go, get education”
Lasting Legacy
Savitribai’s legacy lives on today. She has become an icon in particular for the women from backward classes. The Government of Maharashtra has instituted an award in her name and in 2015, the University of Pune in western India was renamed: Savitribai Phule Pune University in her honor. On 10 March 1998, a stamp was released by India Post in honour of Phule. In a demonstration of her global influence, on her 168th birthday in 2017, Google dedicated a doodle on their homepage to her life’s work.
Exploring Maharashtra
Aurangabad
In its name lies the secret to the emperor who gave it its recent glory, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who built Bibi-qa-Maqbara, a Taj Mahal replica. But the real reason for traipsing here is because the town is an excellent base for exploring the World Heritage Sites of Ellora and Ajanta.
Mumbai
The sprawling metropolis, the crown jewel of modern India, Mumbai is a city built on water, literally. With a little something for art deco lovers and an infinite list of architectural marvels, the city beckons those who are interested in learning what makes India tick.
While you’re in Maharashtra
You can also explore Pune, a city that lies at the junction of spirituality and modernity that defines the entire country’s growth. Home to fascinating modern architecture and authentic Marathi culture, it is a great stop for those with a little extra time on hands. And if you’re a lover of beach drives, drive down the coast from Mumbai, sampling some of the most delectable seafood cuisine in the country.
At Tushita, we marvel at India with you. After 45 years of travelling the country, we’re still enamoured by its beauty every day. From Ladakh, where Tushita was anointed by a Buddhist monk in 1977, to Tamil Nadu, where we worked with locals to showcase one of the oldest cultures in the world, we are partners in your journey to discover our part of the world.
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