During my visit to Rarikhal in Munshiganj earlier this April, I found myself captivated by the preserved memorabilia of the legendary polymath Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. In my absorption, I realized I had overlooked the profound legacy of his partner, Abala Bose. Deeply connected to Rarikhal through her marriage, she worked alongside her husband to maintain strong ties to these rural roots.
Today, the village hosts a memorial complex, a museum, and the Sir J.C. Bose Institution and College.
While the site predominantly celebrates Sir J.C. Bose’s scientific breakthroughs, it also preserves a few historic photographs of Abala Bose, offering a glimpse into her monumental life. This encounter sparked my curiosity, prompting me to revisit historical references to better understand this extraordinary woman.
Abala Bose is often defined by her relationships—as the daughter of Brahmo reformer Durga Mohan Das, the wife of J.C. Bose, and the first cousin of independence leader Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das. Yet, she stands out as a unique, formidable personality in her own right.
A fierce feminist and a staunch advocate for women’s education and suffrage, she remains largely unsung. While history frequently frames her as a supportive companion to a global scientific pioneer, she was a powerhouse reformer and suffragist.
At Rarikhal, I saw several photographs of her—both solo portraits and duets with her husband—but found a distinct lack of literature doing justice to her larger-than-life personality. A memorial complex and academic compound of this scale should house more comprehensive information on her life and works.
What fascinates me most is the sheer number of feathers she added to her cap during the 19th century, an era when formal education was an impossible dream for most local women.
A proto-feminist, Abala Bose deserves a special mention in the history of 19th century Bengal in her own right. Born on August 8, 1865 at the river-bound district Barisal in south-central Bangladesh, she devoted her whole life to unbind the oppressive shackles of society that engulfed the lives of women. Abala Bose inherited reformist instinct from her parents Durga Mohan Das (a renowned Brahmo reformer and one of the founders of Bethune Collegiate School for girls) and Brahmamoyee Devi (who devoted all her short lived life to the betterment of the conditions of the widows).
Across the 19th-century world, the struggle for female education and independence followed a remarkably similar path of resistance against patriarchal rules. For Bengali women, life was entirely bound by the four walls of the home—a reality most accepted as fate. Yet, Abala Bose refused to submit, forever changing that narrative.
Abala completed her primary education in Barisal. From there, she went to Kolkata. After graduating from the Bethune School in the early 1880s, she applied to the Calcutta Medical College. She was among the first British-era Bengali women to attempt studying medicine. When the college council and professors fiercely opposed admitting women and rejected her application, she refused to yield. Securing a government scholarship, she traveled to Madras Medical College to pursue her degree, though severe ill health unfortunately forced her to return to Bengal before graduating.
In 1887, she married Jagadish Chandra Bose, the father of radio science, and later became known as Lady Bose following his knighthood in 1916. The scientist’s work required frequent global travel, and Abala accompanied him whenever possible. Journeying across Europe, America, and Asia, she observed how women lived in diverse societies, drawing inspiration to fight for underprivileged women back home in British India.
In 1910, Abala became the Secretary of the Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya in Kolkata, a post she held for 26 years. The school revolutionized female empowerment by training girls in self-defense and high moral values. To scale her mission, she launched the Nari Shakti Samiti with the help of friends and family. This organization achieved remarkable milestones, securing funds for women's education, assisting widows, and teaching vocational skills like embroidery.
Abala famously asserted: "What women will ultimately do and what they will not do, that is a separate matter. But every woman should have the capability, otherwise how will men respect women?"
Distressed by the societal oppression of widows, she established the Vidyasagar Bani Bhavan in 1925, providing them with vocational and teacher training to secure an honorable living. She was also a political trailblazer; in 1917, she joined the core women's delegation that met with the British government to demand voting rights for Indian women—an effort that was partially realized in 1921.
Another fascinating, yet under-recognized, dimension of her life was her passion for travel writing. As one of the few 19th-century Bengali women to travel extensively abroad, she documented her experiences across Europe, America, and Asia.
Her travelogues were serialized in prominent Bengali periodicals of the time: England Bhraman (Travel to England, three parts, 1897–98); Italy Bhraman (Travel to Italy, 1901); Americar Balakbalikader Katha (About the Children of America, 1908); Japan Bhraman (Travel to Japan, 1915), published in the children's magazine Mukul.
In 1932, her comprehensive European travel narrative, Bangali Mahilar Prithibi Bhraman (A Bengali Woman’s Travel around the World), was published in the prestigious Prabasi magazine.
Lady Abala Bose was a visionary whose contributions to education, literature, and human rights deserve an equal place in our historical memory—and certainly within the halls of Rarikhal.