Sarala Devi Biography 
Sarala Devi was a freedom fighter, activist, politician and feminist from Odisha, who is the first Odia woman to join the Non-cooperation movement in 1921, and also the first woman to be elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly on April 1, 1936. The first female speaker of state assembly, the first woman Director of Cuttack Co-operative Bank, first female Senate member of Utkal University, the first Odia woman delegate of INC – as a woman leader in pre-independent period, she owns countless feats to her credit. She was one of the leading female leaders of Odisha in the 20th century, who inspired many women later. Her brother-in-law Nityanand Kanungo was a prominent polician, and her nephew, Bidhu Bhusan Das – a scholar and administrator.
Sarala Devi was born on 9 August 1904 in Narilo village, near Balikuda into a wealthy Zamindar family. Her birthplace now belongs to Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha. Dewan Basudev Kanungo, and Padmavati Devi were her parents. She was adopted and brought up by her father's elder brother, Balamukunda Kanungo, who served as a Deputy Collector then. Her primary education was done at Banki, where she was brought up by her uncle. Later he hired a tutor at home for her teaching Bengali, Sanskrit, Odia and basic English, till the age of 13. Same year, in 1917 she got married to Bhagirathi Mohapatra.
Sarala was inspired by stories of Suka Devi, the queen of Banki, and she decided to join freedom struggle movement. The following year Bhagirathi Mohapatra joined Indian National Congress. After Gandhi’s visit to Odisha in 1921, Sarala too joined Congress. Since then she rose to a prominent young woman leader, and maintained close relationship with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, and many more freedom fighters. She remained an author too.
Published: July 28, 2018
Updated: July 28, 2018
