Dr. Anandibai Joshi

Upon her birth on 31 March 1865 she was named Yamuna, after the holy river. Her parents Gunputrao Amritaswar Joshee & Gungabai Joshee came from a long lineage of wealthy landlord family in Kalyan of Bombay Presidency, whose wealth was now waning.

Anandi was the sixth of 10 children, & had 4 brothers (only two of which survived) & five sisters. Her father was particularly fond of her, as she was a bright child with an inquisitive mind. Being an educated man himself, Ganpatrao assured that his daughter was taught Marathi.
As was common practice she was married at a tender age of 9, to Gopalrao Joshi, a 29 year old widower who worked as a postal clerk in the same city. After marriage her husband named her ‘Anandibai’ (which means ‘Joy of my heart’).
Gopalrao was man ahead of his times with reformist ideas & had married Anandibai on the condition that he would be allowed to educate his wife.
He even tried to enroll Anandi in a missionary school, but did not succeed. Despite being the supportive husband, Gopalrao had his flaws.

He was a strict teacher & would sometimes resort to beating if Anandi slacked in her studies.
When Anandi was 14 years old, she gave birth to a son. Sadly, the baby did not survive beyond ten days. Anandi realized that she was not comfortable around the attending male physician, & she suffered more during pregnancy because there were no native female doctors.
In 1879, Anandibai’s husband Gopalrao wrote a letter that was published in the Christian journal “The Missionary review of the World” His community in India, Gopalrao wrote, had condemned his idea of social reform and opposed his wife’s education.
Gopalrao wanted the letter to facilitate an arrangement for his 14-yr-old wife to study medicine in the US, and he explicitly asked for assistance in doing so. Gopalrao’s letter eventually came into the hands of a Presbyterian minister stationed in India.
This minister forwarded the letter to the editor of "The Missionary Review".

The replies, both of which were published in the journal’s same volume after Gopalrao’s letter, reflect their hope that the Joshis will first convert to Christianity.
Wilder’s reply further discourages the idea of Anandibai coming to the US, arguing that the couple should remain in India and preach the gospel there.

Nonetheless, it was a particular reader, who played a major part in Anandibai's life, namely, Ms. Carpenter of New Jersey.
Through correspondence, Joshi and Carpenter struck up a friendship with discussions of family, religion, and the news of the day. Joshi even addressed Carpenter as “my dear aunt".
Their correspondence culminated in a plan in 1883 for Joshi’s travel to the United States, where she would stay with Carpenter and enroll in an American medical school. Her husband Gopalrao, meanwhile, remained in India to take care of family members.
Before leaving India, Joshee gave a public speech in February 1883 in the eastern town of Serampore where Gopalrao was posted. The aim of the speech was to state her reasons for the journey to the United States and address the questions and oppositions she has received.
She spoke about the unfriendly stares and stones thrown at her for defying social norms, and she promised to face difficulties with greater courage. With regard to people’s suspicions of her faith, SHE PLEDGED TO LEAVE AS A HINDU, AND TO RETURN AS A HINDU.
In 1883, Joshee joined the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, now known as the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. She graduated in 1886 with her degree in medicine; her M.D. thesis focused on Hindu obstetrics.
Word of her achievement soon reached India, where she received a job offer not long after graduation. The government of the princely state of Kolhapur, wanted to appoint her “Lady Doctor of Kolhapur” at the Albert Edward Hospital.
Her ship arrived in India in November 1886, but by this time, she was seriously ill. After a prolonged illness, she passed away on February 26, 1887 only one month before her 22nd birthday. Her ashes were sent to Ms. Carpenter, who buried them in a family cemetery in New York.
One can read about her in the book available below:

https://t.co/b1r2uJvJhG
@ragiing_bull @AadhySanatani @Anaamikaa9999

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Total 20 paras of this poem.

🔸️Being Balanced🔸️

1/

अतीकोपता कार्य जाते लयाला,
अती नम्रता पात्र होते भयाला ।
अती काम ते कोणतेही नसावे,
प्रमाणामधे सर्व काही असावे ।।

Translation👇🏽


The Act of Aggression/Anger strains the work,

Extreme humility leads to fear,

There shouldn't be any kind of work in excess,

Everything should be in proportion.

2/
अती लोभ आणी जना नित्य लाज,
अती त्याग तो रोकडा मृत्य आज ।
सदा तृप्त नेमस्त सर्वां दिसावे,
प्रमाणामधे सर्व काही असावे ।।

Excess greed can bring shame in the eyes of people,

If you overdo sacrifice, death will stand before you,

Always look deeply contented and disciplined,

Everything should be in proportion.

(Check greed and sacrifice are opposites of each other)

3/

अती मोह हा दु:ख शोकास मूळ,
अती काळजी टाकणे हेही खूळ ।
सदा चित्त हे सद्विचारे कसावे,
प्रमाणामधे सर्व काही असावे ।।

Translation 👇🏽👇🏽

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