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{{Infobox person
| name = Ramabai Ranade
| image = Ramabai-ranade.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1862|1|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Devarashtre, [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Sangli]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]])
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1924|01|25|1863|1|25|df=yes}}
Seva Sadan, [[Pune]]
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| known_for = Women's education and self-reliance
| spouse = [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]]
}}
'''Ramabai Ranade''' (25 January 1862 – 25 January 1924) was an Indian social worker and one of the first women's rights activists in the 19th century. At the age of 11, she was married to Justice [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]], who was a distinguished Indian scholar and social reformer. In that era of social inequality, women were not allowed to go to school and become literate.

Ramabai, soon after her marriage, started to learn reading and writing with strong support and encouragement from [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]]. Starting with her native language [[Marathi language|Marathi]], she strove hard to master English.Ramabai Ranade with her husband and other colleagues established in 1886 the first girls' high school in Pune, the renowned [[Huzurpaga]].

Inspired by her husband, Ramabai started 'Hindu Ladies Social Club' in [[Mumbai]] to develop public speaking among women.After the death of her husband, Ramabai devoted the rest of her life to the betterment of women's lives mainly through the activities 'Seva Sadan Society' in Mumbai and [[Pune]].

== Introduction ==

Ramabai Ranade was a pioneer of the modern women's movement in India and outside. She was the founder and president of the "Seva Sadan", which is the most successful of all Indian women's institution and is attended by thousands of women. The immense popularity of the institution was due to the fact that it was under Ramabai's close personal supervision.

==Early life and background ==
Ramabai Ranade was born on 25 January 1862, as Yamuna Kurlekar in Kurlekar family, living in a small village, Devrashtre of [[Sangli]] District, [[Maharashtra]]. As educating girls was a taboo in those days, her father did not educate her. In 1873, she was married to Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, a pioneer of India's social reform movement.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-11|title=International Girl Child Day: All about Ramabai Ranade, Indian social reformer who paved way for women's education|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-international-girl-child-day-ramabai-ranade-indian-social-reformer-paved-way-for-womens-education-2849027|access-date=2021-01-05|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref> He devoted his time to educate her in face of opposition of the women in the house and helped her to become an ideal wife and a worthy helpmate in social and educational reform. With his strong support and sharing his visionary path, Ramabai spent all her life making women self-reliant and economically independent.<ref name="books.google.co.in">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEPYbuzOwcQC&q=ramabai+and+her+work&pg=PA65 |title=Women and Social Reform in Modern India: A Reader – Sumit Sarkar, Tanika Sarkar – Google Books |accessdate=13 August 2012|isbn=9780253352699 |last1=Sarkar |first1=Sumit |last2=Sarkar |first2=Tanika |year=2008 }}</ref>

She was barely 11 years old when she was married to Mahadev Govind Ranade, who was a scholar, idealist and a revolutionary social activist. Ramabai was illiterate when she was married as she lived in a time when considered a sin for a girl to read or write. On the contrary, her husband, addressed as the "Prince of Graduates", was a graduate of Bombay University with first class honours. He not only worked as the Professor of English and Economics at the Elphinstone College in Bombay, but was also as an oriental translator and a social reformer. He worked rigorously against evils that existed in the society. He was against [[untouchability]], [[child marriage]] and [[Sati (practice)|Sati]]. He took over the Sarvajanik Sabha and led a number of movements for social development. He had won the praise of the whole of [[Maharashtra]] by the time he was in his early thirties. His overarching thinking, dynamic vision, passionate and devoted social commitment strongly inspired Ramabai and illuminated her path for future social work.<ref name="Orient Longman">{{cite book|last1=Kosambi|first1=Meera|title=Intersections : socio-cultural trends in Maharashtra|date=2000|publisher=Orient Longman|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788125018780|page=101|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XU8dmAiaZSgC&q=ranade|accessdate=9 January 2017}}</ref>

Ramabai made it a mission to educate herself, so that she could be an equal partner in the active life led by her husband. In her efforts she faced obstruction and hostility from other women in her extended family.<ref name="Orient Longman"/> Justice Ranade gave regular lessons to young Ramabai in writing and reading Marathi, History, Geography, Mathematics and English. He used to make her read all newspapers and discuss current affairs with him. She became his devoted disciple and slowly became his Secretary and his trusted friend.When [[Pandita Ramabai]] came to Pune in 1882 after becoming a widow, the Ranades helped her.Both, Ramabai Ranade and Pandita Ramabai took English language lessons from a Christian missionary lady at the Ranade residence.<ref>Kosambi, Meera. “Indian Response to Christianity, Church and Colonialism: Case of Pandita Ramabai.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 27, no. 43/44, 1992, pp. WS61–WS71. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4399059. Accessed 9 Oct. 2020.</ref>

==Career==
Ramabai made her first public appearance at [[Nasik]] High School as the Chief Guest. Justice Ranade wrote her maiden speech. She soon mastered the art of public speaking, both in English and Marathi. Her speeches were always simple and heart-touching. She began working for Prarthana Samaj in [[Bombay]]. She established a branch of Arya Mahila Samaj (Arya women's society) in the city. From 1893 to 1901 Ramabai was at the peak of her popularity in her social activities. She established the [[Hindu]] Ladies Social and Literary Club in Bombay and started a number of classes to train women in languages, general knowledge, tailoring and handwork.<ref name="books.google.co.in"/>

===Social activism after the death of Justice Ranade===
At the age of thirty-eight, upon the death of Justice Ranade in 1901, she left Bombay and came to Pune and stayed at their old ancestral house near Phule Market. For one year, she led an isolated life. Finally, she came out of her self-imposed isolation to organise the first Bharat Mahila Parishad in Bombay. Ramabai lived 23 years after her husband's death – a life full of activity for social awakening, redressal of grievances and established social institutions like Seva Sadan for rehabilitation of distressed women.
Ramabai made her started public service around 1878, but it was after Justice Ranade's death in 1901 that she wholly identified herself with the cause of women in [[India]]. She became a regular visitor to the Central Prison, especially the women's wing, to kindle self-esteem amongst prison inmates. She paid her visit to boys in the reformatory school, spoke to them and distributed sweets to them on festive occasions. She regularly visited patients in local hospitals, distributing fruits, flowers and books. She also went out to [[Gujarat]] and [[Kathiawar]] in 1913 to organise relief for famine-stricken people. Even in the final years of her life, she went to [[Alandi]] at the time of Ashadhi and Kartiki fairs, with volunteers from the Seva Sadan, to render help to women pilgrims visiting the shrine of Sant [[Dnyaneshwar]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Thilagavathi|first1=L.|last2=Chandrababu|first2=B.S.|title=Woman, her history and her struggle for emancipation|date=2009|publisher=Bharathi Puthakalayam|location=Chennai|isbn=9788189909970|page=312|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZmyUpHdPWYC&q=seva+sadan+nursing&pg=PA331|accessdate=19 January 2017}}</ref> In taking up this activity, she laid foundations for a new type of social service for women. At the urging of [[Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar]] and Mr. Bhajekar, Ramabai chaired the first session of India Women Conference held in Bombay in 1904.

===Seva Sadan===
In 1908 parsee social reformer, [[Behramji Malabari|
B. M. Malbari]] and [[Dayaram Gidumal]] came up with the idea of founding home for women and training Indian women to be Nurses. They then turned to Ramabai, for her guidance and help for starting a Society and thus Seva Sadan (Bombay) came into being. In 1915 the Pune Seva Sadan was registered as a society under her guidance.<ref>[http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000057/19191115/027/0025?browse=true The Graphic - Saturday 15 November 1919]
</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kosambi|first1=Meera|last2=Feldhaus|first2=Ann (Editor)|title=Intersections : socio-cultural trends in Maharashtra|date=2000|publisher=Orient Longman|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788125018780|page=139|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0FobxiflfVQC&q=seva+sadan&pg=PA256}}</ref> The society expanded its old educational departments and also started new ones. It developed a Women's Training College, three hostels, one of them for Medical students and other for probationer nurses.

In 1924, when Ramabai died, the Pune Seva Sadan was training more than one thousand women in different departments. It was largely owing to Ramabai's initiatives, guidance and exertions that Seva Sadan found a footing and grew so rapidly in spite of prevailing prejudices. The last two outstanding contribution which she made were – the organisation of agitation for extending compulsory and pre-primary education to girls; and secondly organisation of Women's Suffrage Movement in Bombay presidency in 1921–22. The singular position, which she assumed at the end of her life deserved [[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s tribute to her as quoted: "The death of Ramabai Ranade is a great national loss. She was the embodiment of all that a [[Hindu]] widow could be. She was a true friend and helpmate of her illustrious husband in his lifetime."

"After his death she chose her husband's reform activities as her life's aim. Justice Ranade was a reformer and deeply concerned about the uplifting of Indian womanhood. Ramabai put her heart and soul into Seva Sadan. She devoted her whole energy to it. The result is that Seva Sadan has become an institution with no second of its kind throughout India."

In early years of Seva sadan,most of the nursing students were widows. Once there was an occasion of the annual social gathering of Seva Sadan. One of the highlights of the function was the prize distribution ceremony. Among the prize winners was a widow. She was dressed in the traditional dress of the widows of those days, a simple dark red sari with the Pallu tightly drawn over her clean-shaven head. As the widow stepped on the stage, the student crowding the galleries started hooting and shouting. This outburst of misbehavior hurt Ramabai's feelings deeply. As she stood upon the stage towards the end of the function to give a brief thanksgiving speech, she was so provoked that she could not help chastising the student crowd with all the severity at her command: "You are college students and yet how can you be regarded as educated? How can those be considered as educated who not only do not extend sympathy to their unfortunate sisters who have fallen victims to cruel fate and merciless social customs, but find it fit to heap ridicule on them. Every one of you probably has some unfortunate widow sheltered under your roof, may be your sister, cousin or aunt or even your own mother. If you had kept this in mind you would not have misbehaved the way you did." These were sharp, stinging words striking the students like a whiplash. There was pin drop silence. It was a triumph of Ramabai's powerful and spellbinding personality.
She worked relentlessly against the system of child marriage. All these efforts took shape in establishing the Seva Sadan Society in [[Bombay]], which substituted as a home for a number of distressed women. She started Pune Seva Sadan Society in her own ancestral house. This later developed into an institution offering a number of facilities like hostels, training colleges, vocational centres, selling centres, etc. Ramabai's name became synonymous with [[Seva Sadan (1934 film)|Seva Sadan]]. This was her greatest contribution to the welfare of middle-class women. Ramabai participated in the War Conference and spoke to the Governor on behalf of Indian women. She also fought for the cause of Indian labour in [[Fiji]] and [[Kenya]]. She even worked for women's right to franchise.
Everyone adored her, but she was modest to call herself a shadow of her husband.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekR9AAAAMAAJ&q=ramabai+ranade |title=Gandhi on women: collection of Mahatma Gandhi's writings and speeches on women – Gandhi (Mahatma), Centre for Women's Development Studies (New Delhi, India) – Google Books |accessdate=13 August 2012|last1=Gandhi |first1=Mahatma |year=1988 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In her honour, the Indo-Australian Post issued a Postage stamp picturing Ramabai on 14 August 1962, in her birth centenary year for her great contribution towards the Indian society.

A [[Indian television|television series]] on [[Zee Marathi]] named ''[[Unch Maaza Zoka]]'' (roughly translated as 'my swing flies high', with an implication of 'Dream big in life and strive for it') based on Ramabai's life and her development as a 'women's rights' activist was telecasted in March 2012.<ref name=ser>{{cite web|title=समाजसुधारक रमाबाई रानडे यांच्या कर्तृत्वाचा 'उंच झोका' झी मराठीवर!|url=http://www.loksatta.com/old/loksattav2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=212701:2012-02-24-16-12-31&catid=166:2009-08-11-13-00-15&Itemid=71|publisher=Lokasatta|accessdate=11 March 2012}}</ref> This series was critically acclaimed and celebrated throughout [[Maharashtra]]. It had actors Vikram Gaikwad as [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]] and Spruha Joshi as Ramabai Ranade.

==Legacy==
* Ramabai's important literary contribution is her autobiography ''Amachya Ayushyatil Kahi Athavani'' in Marathi<ref>"Diamond Maharashtra Sankritikosh", Durga Dixit, Pune, India, Diamond Publications, 2009, p. 40. {{ISBN|978-81-8483-080-4}}.</ref> in which she gives a detailed account of her married life. She also published a collection of Justice Ranade's lectures on Religion. She was very fond of English literature.
*Seva sadan

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranade, Ramabai}}
[[Category:1924 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian feminist writers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:Marathi people]]
[[Category:Indian social reformers]]
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]
[[Category:People from Satara district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:1862 births]]
[[Category:People of British India]]
[[Category:Women writers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Educators from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian women social scientists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian social scientists]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian social scientists]]
[[Category:Prarthana Samaj]]
[[Category:Women educators from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Social workers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:19th-century women educators]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]
[[Category:Hindu feminists]]

Ramabai Ranade - Revision history

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