Pandita Ramabai, the youngest daughter of Anant Shastri, was a social reformer, a champion for the emancipation of women, and a pioneer in education. Left totally alone by the time she was 23, Ramabai acquired a great reputation as a Sanskrit scholar. Deeply impressed by her prowerss, the Sanskrit scholars of Calcutta University conferred on her the titles of "Saraswati" and "Pandita". She rebelled against the caste system and married a shudra advocate, but was widowed at 23, having a baby girl. In 1882, she established the Arya Mahila Samaj for the cause of women's education in Pune and different parts of Western India.

This led to the formation of the Sharda Sadan in 1889 - which school completes a hundred years this year - a school which blossomed into an umbrella organisation called Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission, 40 miles outside Pune. In 1896, during a severe famine Ramabai toured to villages of Maharashtra with a caravan of bullock carts and rescued thousands of out-caste children, child widows, orphans and other distitute women and brought them to the shelter of Mukti and Sharada Sadan.

A learned women knowing seven languages, she also translated the Bible into her mother toungue - Marathi - from the original Hebrew and Greek. Her work continues today, a memorial to her life and path.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India