Savitribai Phule’s 194th birth anniversary: Known as the country’s first woman teacher, Savitribai broke social barriers at a time when educating women was considered unthinkable.
Savitribai Phule was not only a reformer but also a prolific poet and writer. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Savitri Bai Phule Birthday 2025: India celebrates his birthday. Savitri Bai Phule, a name that shines in the history of social reforms in India.On January 3. Known as the country’s first woman teacher, Savitribai broke social barriers at a time when educating women was considered unthinkable.
Born in Naigaon, Maharashtra in 1831, she dedicated her life to advancing women’s education and ending discrimination based on caste and gender. As India celebrates his 194th birthday, let’s take a look at his outstanding achievements, influential work and the legacy he left behind.
Early life
Savitri Bai was the eldest daughter of Lakshmi and Khandoji Nivase Patil. At the age of 9, he married Jyoti Rao Phule, a fellow social reformer who was instrumental in supporting his education and social initiatives. Together they initiated efforts to transform the educational landscape of the country.
A life devoted to knowledge and reform
In 1848, the couple established India’s first school for girls, Bhidewada, in Pune. This important step started a movement that would change the lives of countless women.
Despite facing strong opposition from society, Savitri Bai received teaching training at the American Missionaries Institute in Ahmednagar and the Normal School in Pune.
By 1851, Savitri Bai and Jyoti Rao had established three schools with over 150 students. Their work soon expanded, resulting in 17 schools across India, including institutions for Dalits and women.
The couple’s innovative approach to offering scholarships inspired many to step into classrooms for the first time.
A vision beyond education
Savitribai’s mission extended far beyond the classroom. In 1852, she founded the Mahila Seva Mandal, a platform aimed at empowering women and challenging social norms.
The organization welcomed members from all castes, fostered a sense of unity and broke the chains of caste-based discrimination.
Flowers also addressed deep-rooted social ills. He fought against child marriage, supported widow remarriage and in 1854-55 established literacy missions to further promote education across the country.
Their efforts led to the Satya Shudhak Samaj, a revolutionary movement that advocated Satya Shudhak marriages, where dowry was abolished, paving the way for equality in relationships.
Poet and writer
Savitribai Phule was not only a reformer but also a prolific poet and writer. His works, including Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892), reflect his progressive ideas and deep commitment to education.
His poem Go, Get Education stands as a powerful call, exhorting the oppressed to break free from the shackles of society through knowledge.
10 Inspirational Quotes by Savitri Bai Phule
On this special occasion, here are 10 timeless quotes from Savitri Bai Phule that continue to inspire generations:
- “Education is the great equalizer and will bring us out of our caves.”
- “Laziness is a sign of poverty. It is the enemy of knowledge, wealth and honor, and a lazy man gains none of it.”
- A woman without education is like a banyan tree without roots or leaves. She cannot raise her children and survive on her own.”
- “Lack of learning is nothing but gross animality. It is only through the acquisition of knowledge that he loses his lower status and attains the higher.”
- “We will prevail and victory will be ours in the future. The future is ours.”
- “I believe that education is the key to every woman’s freedom.”
- “Wake up, rise up and educate, break traditions – liberate.”
- “All is lost without knowledge, we become animals without reason.”
- Don’t sit idle anymore, go, get an education. End the suffering of the oppressed and the abandoned.”
- If you don’t have knowledge, you don’t have education, and you don’t want it, you have intellect but you don’t work on it, then how can you be called human?