Rashmoni Das, popularly known as Rani Rashmoni, also spelled as Rani Rasmani (28 September 1793 – 19 February 1861), was an Indian businesswoman,
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
,
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
and the founder of the
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a Hindu navaratna temple in Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini, a form of Parashakti Adya Kali, otherw ...
in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
and remained closely associated with Sri
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna Paramahansa ( bn, রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস, Ramôkṛṣṇo Pôromohôṅso; , 18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886),——— — also spelled Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya,, was an In ...
Paramhansa after she appointed him as the priest of the temple. Her other construction works include the construction of a road from
Subarnarekha River to
Puri
Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...
for the pilgrims,
Babughat
Babughat (also Babooghat, or Baje Kadamtala Ghat, and ''Baboo Raj Chandra Ghat'') is one of the many ghats built during British Raj, along the bank of Hooghly River on Strand Road, Kolkata at B. B. D. Bagh, Kolkata.
The ghat has a tall colo ...
(also known as Babu Rajchandra Das Ghat), Ahiritola Ghat and
Nimtala ghat
Nimtala Crematorium is located on Beadon Street, Kolkata, India. The crematorium is also historically known as Nimtala burning ghat, or simply Nimtala ghat. Located on the banks of Hoogly ( Ganga) it is considered to be one of the holiest burn ...
for the everyday bathers at the
Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
. She also offered considerable charity to the Imperial Library (now the
National Library of India
The National Library of India is a library located in Belvedere Estate, Alipore, Kolkata, India. It is India's largest library by volume and public record. The National Library is under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Currently, Dr. ...
), the Hindu College (now
Presidency University).
Presently, the Lokmata Rani Rashmoni Mission is situated at
Nimpith, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
Nimpith is a census town within the jurisdiction of the Jaynagar police station in the Jaynagar II CD block in the Baruipur subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Area overview
Baruipur su ...
, 743338, India.
Biography
Rashmoni was born on 28 September 1793 in a peasant family of Harekrishna Das, who lived in Kona village, in present-day
Halisahar, North 24 Parganas
Halisahar is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
History
Halisahar is believed to have existed from ...
. Her mother Rampriya devi died when she was just seven years old. She was married to Babu Rajachandra Das (Marh) of
Janbazar, Kolkata
Janbazar is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The two century-old house of Rani Rashmoni, the central attraction in Janbazar, is still used by descendants in the family.
Geography
Janba ...
, a member of a wealthy
Mahishya
Mahishya, also spelled Mahisya, is a Bengali Hindu traditionally agrarian caste, and formed the largest caste in undivided Bengal. Mahishyas are considered as Forward caste.
Mahisyas traditionally lived in Bengal and Orissa region. In late t ...
''zamindar'' family, when she was eleven years old. They had four daughters.
After her husband's death in 1836, Rashmoni assumed responsibility of the zamindari and finances.
After inheriting property from her husband, she managed to endear herself to the people through her management skills of the estate and her many charitable works in the city. She was well loved and revered by the people and proved herself to be worthy of the title, "
Rani
''Rani'' in Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, sometimes spelled ''Ranee'', is a Hindu/Sanskrit feminine given name. The term is the female form of the term for princely rulers in South and Southeast Asia and applies equally to the wife of a ...
".
The ''Rani'' had clashes with the
British in India. By blocking the shipping trade on a part of the
Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
she compelled the British to abolish the tax imposed on fishing in the river, which threatened the livelihood of fishermen. When
Puja processions were stopped by the British on the charge that they disturbed the peace, she defied the orders. The British withdrew the penalty imposed on her.
She tacitly supported social activist/scholar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's campaign for widow remarriage. She even submitted a draft bill against polygamy to the East India Company, who handled the administration during those days.
The
Eden Gardens
The Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 66,000.
Eden Gardens is often re ...
(then Marh Bagan) was also a part of their Zamindari area, which they later gifted to the Eden sisters of
Lord Auckland
Baron Auckland is a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain. The first creation came in 1789 when the prominent politician and financial expert William Eden was made Baron Auckland in the Peerage of Ireland. In ...
, the then
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...
, as they helped him in saving life of Babu's 3rd daughter from a fatal disease.
The ''Rani'' also had to her credit numerous charitable works and other contributions to society. She oversaw the construction of a road from
Subarnarekha river to
Puri
Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...
for pilgrims. She funded the construction of
ghats
Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...
such as Babughat (in memory of her husband), Ahiritola Ghat and Nimtala Ghat for the daily bathers in the Ganges. Rashmoni also donated to the then Imperial Library (now the
National Library of India
The National Library of India is a library located in Belvedere Estate, Alipore, Kolkata, India. It is India's largest library by volume and public record. The National Library is under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Currently, Dr. ...
) and Hindu College (now
Presidency University).
Prince Dwarkanath Tagore had mortgaged a part of his
Zamindari
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
in now South 24 Parganas (part of present-day Santoshpur and adjoining areas) to Rashmoni for his passage to England. This part of land which was then a part of the Sunderbans was marshy and almost uninhabitable except for some families of thugs who found the area convenient to stay and venture out for plunders in far away places mounted on stilts. Rashmoni persuaded these families and helped them to build up fisheries in the surrounding water bodies that later turned into large, rich bheris. They gradually gave up their profession of plundering and transformed into a community of fishermen.
Profoundly affected by a dream to built a temple of Goddess Kali, Rani looked for and purchased a 30,000-acre plot in the village of Dakhineswar. The large temple complex was built between 1847 and 1855. The plot was bought from an Englishman, Jake Hastie, and was then popularly known as ''Saheban Bagicha''. It took eight years and nine hundred thousand rupees to complete the construction. The idol of Goddess Kali was installed on the ''
Snana Yatra
The Snana Yatra ( or, ସ୍ନାନ ଯାତ୍ରା), also spelt Snana Jatra, is a bathing festival of deities celebrated on the ''purnima'' (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. It is the auspicious birthday of Jagannath.
It is ...
'' day on 31 May 1855 amid festivities at the temple formerly known as ''Sri Sri Jagadishwari Kali'', with Ramkumar Chhattopadhyay as the head priest. Soon his younger brother Gadai or Gadadhar (later known as
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna Paramahansa ( bn, রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস, Ramôkṛṣṇo Pôromohôṅso; , 18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886),——— — also spelled Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya,, was an In ...
) moved in and so did his nephew Hriday to assist him.
[
And also it is a price full place p.11.]
Rani Rashmoni's House at Janbazar was venue of traditional
Durga Puja
Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
celebration each autumn. This included traditional pomp, including all-night ''
jatras'' (folk theatre), rather than by entertainment for the Englishmen with whom she carried on a running feud. After her death in 1861, her sons-in-law took to celebrating Durga Puja in their respective premises.
Being an ardent devotee of the Goddess Kali, "Sri Rasmani Dasi, longing for the Feet of Kali ” were the words engraved in the official seal of her estate.
In popular culture
Rani Rashmoni has also been subject of a biographical film in
Bengali language
Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...
, titled ''
Rani Rasmani (film)
''Rani Rasmani'' () is a Bengali historical drama film directed by Kali Prasad Ghosh based on the real-life story of Rani Rasmani. This film was released on 11 February 1955 under the banner of ''Chalachchitra Pratisthan''. Actress Molina Devi p ...
'' (1955), directed by Kaliprasad Ghosh, and wherein lead played by famous theatre personality and actress
Molina Devi
Molina Devi (1917 — 13 August 1977), also known as Molina Debi and Malina Debi, was a Bengali Indian actress of Bengali and Hindi film and theatre. As an actress, she played a wide variety of parts, later frequently playing matronly parts, esp ...
.
Zee Bangla
Zee Bangla is an Indian general entertainment pay television channel broadcasting in the Bengali language. It is owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It is the first Bengali-language satellite television channel in India, officially com ...
also featured a daily soap depicting the life of the illustrious Rani, ''
Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni
''Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni'' was an Indian Bengali historical drama television series which aired on Bengali Entertainment Channel Zee Bangla and is also available on the digital platform ZEE5. It was premiered on 24 July 2017. The serial wa ...
'', which premiered on 24 July 2017 and was telecasted daily till 13 February 2022.
Monuments
*An avenue in
Esplanade, Kolkata
Esplanade is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. This is not a conventional esplanade in the sense that the place is not exactly situated alongside a waterbody. However, the Ganga river (Ga ...
is named after her as ''Rani Rashmoni Avenue'', where her statue is also located.
*A road is named after her as ''Rani Rashmoni Road'' near her ancestral house at
Janbazar
Janbazar is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The two century-old house of Rani Rashmoni, the central attraction in Janbazar, is still used by descendants in the family.
Geography
Janba ...
, Kolkata.
*A road is named after her as ''Rani Rashmoni Road'' at
Dakshineshwar
Dakshineswar is a locality in the North 24 Parganas under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and is very close to Kolkata. This place is historically famous for Dakshineswar Kali Temple, locally known as Maa Bhabata ...
.
*The Department of Post of Government of India issued a postage stamp to memorialize the bicentennial of Rani Rashmoni in 1993
*A Ferry Ghat known as Rani Rashmoni Ghat has been built for ferry services in Barrackpore, West Bengal and in Hooghly, West Bengal (just after the Hooghly District Correctional Home)
*One of the 5 Fast Patrol Vessels of Indian Coast Guard has been named after Rani Rashmoni. It was commissioned in June 2018 and will be based in Visakhapatnam (indigenously built by Hindustan Shipyard).
See also
*
Rani Rashmoni Green University
Rani Rashmoni Green University is a public state university in Tarakeswar, Hooghly district, West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay ...
Further reading
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Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita
''Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita'' ( bn, শ্রীশ্রীরামকৃষ্ণ-কথামৃত, , ''The Nectar of Sri Ramakrishna's Words'') is a Bengali literature, Bengali five-volume work by Mahendranath Gupta (1854–1932) w ...
br>
Chapter 3 – The Kali Temple
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References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rashmoni
1793 births
1861 deaths
Indian women philanthropists
Indian philanthropists
Shaktas
Ramakrishna
Founders of Indian schools and colleges
Bengali zamindars
18th-century Indian women
19th-century Indian businesspeople
Indian social reformers
Social workers from West Bengal
Women educators from West Bengal
Indian educators
19th-century Indian educators
Indian social workers