Krupa Bai: The Remarkable Woman of Madras and the First Indian Woman English Novelist

Krupa Bai was a remarkable woman of Indian history, born to Haripunt Khisty, a Marathi Brahmin who had converted to Christianity. Sadly, she lost her father and brother, and her church arranged for her to go to England. However, her poor health prevented her from doing so. Instead, she traveled alone to Madras and enrolled at Madras Medical College in 1878. Unfortunately, her health declined further, and she had to abandon her studies. Had she completed her degree, she would have become the first Indian woman to graduate in western medicine from an Indian college.

Interestingly, Mary Anne Scharlieb, a woman from London, became the first female to graduate in western medicine from an Indian college in 1878. In contrast, Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first Indian woman to study medicine, but she obtained her degree from a foreign institution, the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, in 1886. The first woman to study medicine in an Indian college was Kadambini Ganguly, who was admitted to Calcutta Medical College in 1883.

Despite her ill health, Krupa Bai was an excellent student. Unfortunately, her condition prevented her from continuing her studies, but she was determined to recover and resume them. She stayed at the home of Reverend WT Satthianadhan, who became her mentor. In 1883, she married Samuel Satthianadhan, Reverend WT Satthianadhan's son. The couple moved to places like Ooty, Kumbakonam, and back to Madras. In Ooty, Krupa Bai began writing her first novel, "Saguna - Story of a Christian Life," serialized in the Madras Christian College magazine from 1887 to 1888. It was the first English novel written by an Indian woman. Her second and last novel, "Kamala - a Story of Hindu Wife," was published in 1894. Sadly, she passed away at the young age of 32 due to tuberculosis.

The Zion Church in Chintadripet played a pivotal role in Krupa Bai's life. It was here that she became a boarder at Reverend WT Satthianadhan's house and found a mentor. After her death, her husband erected a marble tablet in her memory at the church, which remains a symbol of the strength and intelligence of this remarkable woman from Madras.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the life of Krupa Bai and the first Indian woman to write a novel in English. 

Happy travelling!