Pandita Ramabai
A brilliant scholar and reformer who started homes and schools for widows and girls in Pune and at Kedgaon.
Quick facts
- Born:
- 1858
- Pune link:
- Sharada Sadan, Mukti Mission
- Known for:
- Education of widows and girls
- Died:
- 1922
Life and work
Ramabai was a Sanskrit scholar who was given the titles Pandita and Saraswati in Calcutta. Widowed young, she came to Pune and started the Arya Mahila Samaj to work for women.
Homes for women
She opened Sharada Sadan, a home and school for widows, which moved to Pune. Later she founded the Mukti Mission at Kedgaon, near Daund, which still cares for women and children.
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Sources: Written by PuneDiary. Facts checked 10 October 2026.