Krishnabhabini Das|First Indian Woman Travel Writer|Ardhek Akash

Krishnabhabini Das was one of the first Indian women to write a travelogue. Born in 1862, she travelled to England with her husband leaving her only little daughter behind. She left for England with a heavy heart as she was doubtful she would ever be able to return and get accepted into the society again as leaving the country in those days entailed ostracism. She wrote the travelogue "Englande Bangamahila" under a pseudonym and published in Kolkata but it was banned possibly due to her criticism of the society. She made a comparative study between the Indian and British societies and highlighted the good and the bad of both. What gave her immense pleasure was the position of women in England. They went to schools and colleges, worked outside, even gave lectures in public and in every way they were at par with men and enjoyed freedom. She pointed out the plight of Indian women due to their lack of education and early marriage. However, she could not prevent the child marriage of her own daughter , who lived a very unhappy life with an abusive man. The deaths of Krishnabhabini's husband and daughter within a short span of time transformed her . In her coarse sari and bare feet she went from door to door urging people to educate their girls. She wrote on women's issues in several magazines. She built a shelter for widows. She passed away in 1919.

Research and Presentation/Voice-Over: Sudeshna Basu.
Camera: Pragya Paramita.
Editing: Sreejita Mukherjee.


#19thcenturyhistory #explore #history #indian #autobiography #women #woman #education #explorepage #travelogue #english #england #society #indiansociety #indiansocialissues #marriage #womensrights #womensissues