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Mumbai's Forgotten Women: Roads Reveal Hidden Histories
9 Mar
Summary
- Fewer than 150 km of Mumbai's roads honor women.
- Women's Day highlights stories of Pandita Ramabai and Sakarbai Patil.
- Lady Jamsetjee's donation built the Mahim Causeway without toll.
Mumbai's streetscape features few tributes to women, with under 150 km of its 2,000 km of roads honoring them, excluding divine figures. This reality contrasts with the significant contributions of women like Pandita Ramabai. Born in 1858, Ramabai was a scholar and social reformer who founded the Arya Mahila Samaj and established Sharada Sadan, a refuge for widows.
Sakarbai Barku Patil, known as 'Jiji', is another figure recognized for her contributions. Born in 1924, she was a freedom fighter who encouraged girls' education and supported the needy. Her legacy is honored on Smt Sakarbai Barku Patil Marg in Mulund, renamed in 2021.
Furthermore, Lady Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy's philanthropy led to the construction of the Mahim Causeway. Her substantial donation in the 19th century funded the causeway, which crucially linked Bandra and Mahim, eliminating perilous ferry journeys and serving the public without charge.
Other women like Laxmibai Kelkar, founder of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, and Dr Kashibai Navrange, a pioneer in women's healthcare who ran a private clinic and maternity hospital, are also remembered through street names, highlighting their diverse impacts on society.
