Created by Fayenatic london
Last edited March 22, 2026
>Fayenatic london
 
m Article updated with latest changes
Line 1: Line 1:
{{primary sources|date=July 2010}}
{{Short description|Indian social reformer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name              = Parvatibai Athavale
| image              = Parvatibai Athavale (cropped).jpg
| birth_name        = Krishna Joshi
| birth_date        = {{Birth date text|1870}}
| death_date        = {{Death year and age|1955|1870}}
| notable_works      = ''My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow''
}}
'''Parvatibai Athavale''' (1870–1955) was an Indian social reformer and women's education advocate, who worked closely with the social reformer [[Dhondo Keshav Karve]]. She made major contributions in the social upliftment of women, particularly [[Hindu]] widows.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Kosambi |first=Meera |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195148909.001.0001/acref-9780195148909-e-65 |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia Women in World History |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=9780195148909 |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Bonnie G.|pages=164}}</ref>


Parvatibai was born in 1870 in [[Devrukh]], a small town in the Kokan region, on the west coast of India. Her maiden name was Krishna Joshi. She married Mahadev Narayan Athavale at the age of eleven. She gave birth to three children after her marriage, but only one son survived.
'''Parvatibai Athavale''' was a close associate of Dr. [[Dhondo Keshav Karve]], one of India's great social reformers. She made major contributions in social upliftment of women, particularly [[Hindu]] widows.


Parvatibai Athavale was born in 1870 in [[Devrukh]], a small town in Kokan region on the west coast of India. Her maiden name was Miss Krishna Joshi. She was married at the young age of eleven with Mr. [[Mahadev Narayan Athavale]]. She gave birth to three children after her marriage but only one son (Mr. Narayan Mahadev Athavale) survived.
=== Widowhood ===
At the age of 21, her husband died suddenly. After his death, Parvatibai's head was shaved and her jewellery removed, in line with prevailing practices of the time for Brahmin widows.<ref name=":0" />


Later in her life, Parvatibai went to the U.S. to collect funds and donations for the widow education and upliftment, in associated with Karve. She herself became a widow early in life and had to shave off her head and stopped wearing any jewellery and took on the traditional dress of a Maharashtrian Brahmin widow, as was the tradition during those times. After working in the Widows Home, Parvatibai realised that if a change had to come, it had to be initiated by the widows themselves and to set an example, she decided to discard the signs of widowhood.  In 1912, she stopped shaving her head and gave up her widow's garb.  She says she was criticized a lot, but she did not give in to those insults.
Parvatibai became the first student at Karve's [[Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha|Hindu Widows' Home]] when it was established in 1896.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kapadia |first=K. M. |date=1957 |title=A Perspective Necessary for the Study of Social Change in India |journal=Sociological Bulletin |volume=6 |issue=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pal |first=Sanchari |title=Remembering the Man Who Set Up India's First University for Women |url=https://thebetterindia.com/119398/dhondho-keshav-karve-maharashtra-sndt-first-women-university-india/ |access-date=2026-03-10 |website=thebetterindia.com |language=en}}</ref> She subsequently worked at the institution as both an educator and administrator. The institution was founded to help widows support themselves. She later travelled to the United States to raise funds for widow education programs.


Parvatibai Athavale has also penned down her autobiography, later translated in English by Justin E. Abbott and published in 1930, by the name of ''My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow'',<ref>Athavale, Parvati, and Justin E. Abbott. 1930. My story: the autobiography of a Hindu widow. New York: Putnam.</ref> which makes a social impact even today.
After working at the Widows' Home, Parvatibai decided that substantive change required her to lead by example. In 1912, she decided to stop shaving her head and abandoned her widow's garments.&lt;ref name=":1"&gt;Athavale, Parvati, and Justin E. Abbott. 1930. My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow. New York: Putnam.&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref name=":2"&gt;{{Cite journal |last=Atwal |first=Jyoti |date=2019-07-19 |title=Widowhood in History : Reformers, Widow Homes and the Nation |url=https://journalofsocialsciences.org/vol5no1/widowhood-in-history---reformers--widow-homes-and-the-nation/ |journal=Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities |language=en-US |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=09–23 |doi=10.12944/CRJSSH.5.1.03 |issn=2581-8422|doi-access=free }}&lt;/ref&gt; Despite facing social criticism, she maintained her position.
 
=== Reform Philosophy ===
Parvatibai's approach to widow reform, as noted in her autobiography, extended beyond high-caste women. She described traditional practices that affected widows from various backgrounds.&lt;ref name=":2" /&gt;
 
Parvatibai's autobiography has been translated to English by the American Christian missionary, Justin E. Abbott in 1930 as ''My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow.&lt;ref name=":1" /&gt;''


==References==
==References==
Line 16: Line 32:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Athavale, Parvatibai}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athavale, Parvatibai}}
[[Category:Indian humanitarians]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Indian women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Women autobiographers]]
[[Category:Women autobiographers]]
[[Category:Women writers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Women writers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]

Revision as of 12:06, 16 March 2026


Parvatibai Athavale
Born
Krishna Joshi

Template:Birth date text
Died1955 (aged 84–85)
Notable work
My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow

Parvatibai Athavale (1870–1955) was an Indian social reformer and women's education advocate, who worked closely with the social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve. She made major contributions in the social upliftment of women, particularly Hindu widows.<ref name=":0">Kosambi, Meera (2008). Smith, Bonnie G. (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia Women in World History. Oxford University Press. p. 164. ISBN 9780195148909.</ref>

Parvatibai was born in 1870 in Devrukh, a small town in the Kokan region, on the west coast of India. Her maiden name was Krishna Joshi. She married Mahadev Narayan Athavale at the age of eleven. She gave birth to three children after her marriage, but only one son survived.

Widowhood

At the age of 21, her husband died suddenly. After his death, Parvatibai's head was shaved and her jewellery removed, in line with prevailing practices of the time for Brahmin widows.<ref name=":0" />

Parvatibai became the first student at Karve's Hindu Widows' Home when it was established in 1896.<ref>Kapadia, K. M. (1957). "A Perspective Necessary for the Study of Social Change in India". Sociological Bulletin. 6 (1).</ref><ref>Pal, Sanchari. "Remembering the Man Who Set Up India's First University for Women". thebetterindia.com. Retrieved 10 March 2026.</ref> She subsequently worked at the institution as both an educator and administrator. The institution was founded to help widows support themselves. She later travelled to the United States to raise funds for widow education programs.

After working at the Widows' Home, Parvatibai decided that substantive change required her to lead by example. In 1912, she decided to stop shaving her head and abandoned her widow's garments.<ref name=":1">Athavale, Parvati, and Justin E. Abbott. 1930. My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow. New York: Putnam.</ref><ref name=":2">Atwal, Jyoti (19 July 2019). "Widowhood in History : Reformers, Widow Homes and the Nation". Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 5 (1): 09–23. doi:10.12944/CRJSSH.5.1.03. ISSN 2581-8422.</ref> Despite facing social criticism, she maintained her position.

Reform Philosophy

Parvatibai's approach to widow reform, as noted in her autobiography, extended beyond high-caste women. She described traditional practices that affected widows from various backgrounds.<ref name=":2" />

Parvatibai's autobiography has been translated to English by the American Christian missionary, Justin E. Abbott in 1930 as My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow.<ref name=":1" />

References