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The Professor Who Fought for India’s First University for Women

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In 1916, India’s first women’s university was established with only five women in the first graduating class.  Today, this university has over 70,000 students across India with 26 colleges, 3 secondary schools for girls and 38 university departments, including art, management, technology, home science, and humanities.  

Educator and social reformer, Dhondo Keshav Karve lead this revolutionary idea of an all-female university in 1914 when he secured a 15 lakh rupees (roughly $3M of that time) donation from industrialist and philanthropist, Vithaldas Thackersay of Mumbai.  Thackersay wanted the university to be named after his mother, and so, Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersay Women’s University (SNDT) was founded.

Karve, was influenced by the reform movements during British occupied India and the people leading them.  He focused his work on fighting for women’s rights and lifting the status of women through education, specifically widows.  During these times, widows were viewed as untouchable and were forced to clothe in simple white saris and restrict themselves from being a contributing part of society.  

In an effort to put an end to cultural stigma, after losing his wife, in 1893, Karve remarried a widow who had lost her husband in (one she married at only the age of 8).  It was also this year that he established the Widow Re-marriage Association and began speaking out about regressive practices against widows and other castes that were categorized as untouchable.

Despite being criticized and abused by society for his movement, Dhondo Keshav Karve, continued his work.  In 1895, he created the Hindu Widows Home Association, which helped widows support themselves and he also helped set up the first school for widows in the village of Hingane near Pune, India.  Unrelenting in his mission, he also set up the Mahila Vidyala, a residential school for girls to help train them in job-related skills.

The news of this work even reached Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa who would later write about Karve’s inspiring work in the Indian Opinion.  Dhondo Keshva Karve also received the status of Maharishi, which was the name given to a great Hindu sage or spiritual leader, as a gesture for his work in women’s education.  He also was honored with the Padma Vibhushan and the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian awards. He passed away in 1962 but his memory lives on with SNDT University which is now over 100 years old.  

Kumbh Mela – The Largest Gathering of Humanity

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From now until March, millions of people will travel to the city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India for the Kumbh Mela.  Nearly, 120 million people attend this mela, or fair, over a 50 day period. That’s almost double the population of the UK or France. The Kumbh Mela is considered the world’s largest gathering of humanity.  It’s a two-month long Hindu pilgrimage during which attendees bathe at the confluence of the Yamuna, Ganges, and the mythical Saraswati River. The ritual is believed to help cleanse any sins.

“The Kumbh Mela is considered the world’s largest gathering of humanity. “

The most prevalent sight is the Hindu holy men who gather here covered in ash known as “sadhus”.  They gather, dressed in saffron cloth, often sporting dreadlocks, as this is an important meeting point for them organizationally.  The Kumbh Mela can be a type of reunion for these sadhus as the mela is the only time they meet.

The first accounts of the Kumbh Mela are referenced by a Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler, who traveled to India from 629 to 645 A.D.  But it is believed the festival has been celebrated for centuries prior. While the origins of the Kumbh Mela are uncertain, the locations where the mela is held every three years is seeded in Hindu mythology.  It is believed by Hindus that Lord Vishnu after battling the demons, took the pot or “Kumbha” of Amrit, believed to grant eternal life, to the heavens on his bird-chariot Garuda. While traveling, four drops of the Amrit fell to earth at the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain.  Every three years the mela rotates between these three cities and every twelfth year, the Maha, or Great, Kumbh Mela is celebrated.

“The first accounts of the Kumbh Mela are referenced by a Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler, who traveled to India from 629 to 645 A.D.  But it is believed the festival has been celebrated for centuries prior.”

To learn more, please click here to visit the official website for the Kumbh Mela

Happy Holi: From Hindu Festival to Global Culture

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Holi, or, the festival of colors as it is commonly referred to, is a Hindu tradition that has become part of the culture of India and other parts of South Asia.  Holi marks the end of winter and beginning of spring and is celebrated each year following the lunar calendar.  It usually falls between February and March.   While it has origins to the Hindu religion, the festival has elevated beyond religion, caste and race and celebrated by billions around the world.  The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.

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Diwali and its Cultural Importance to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

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Diwali, Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, is a culturally important holiday in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.  Its origins have roots in the Hindu religion.  It’s celebrated in October or November, falling on different days, since it’s based on the lunar calendar. The main night of the holiday falls on the darkest night of the month. Diwali represents the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and overall hope over despair. The festival is celebrated in many countries outside of South Asia.  While it is a national holiday in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, it is also officially recognized in Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

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How to Give a Gift in South Asia

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As with most traditions, the origins are rarely known or have many stories behind them.  In South Asia, there are many traditions for gift giving.  Culture and religion often influence gift giving across South Asia, regardless of global consumerism influencing these countries.  When visiting someone’s home, the host or hostess may give you a gift on your initial visit to their home, especially if you are younger than them.  In return, you should bring flowers or sweets as a token of appreciation for their hospitality.  These gifts are commonly given to the head of the household upon arrival and you may notice the gift is received with both hands.  It is also not offensive to ask close family or friends what they would like to receive as a gift ahead of time.  Use bright colors for gift wrapping, particularly green, yellow, red or gold.
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