One of the oldest institutions for women’s education in Kolkata is Mahakali Pathshala, established on 19 April 1893 by Rani Gangabai, the niece of Laksmibai, Rani of Jhansi. Gangabai was the daughter of Raja Narayan Rao, the king of Raibelur, which was in the Arkot province in the Deccan. Ganagabai mastered the Sanskrit language at a very age and studied classical Sanskrit literature, and at the same time, acquired skills in horse riding and sword fighting. Legend has it that Gangabai fought with great courage and tremendous martial ability in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and saved Laksmibai’s life many times. After the mutiny was crushed, Gangabai fled to Nepal with Nana Saheb and stayed there for 30 years. She turned an ascetic and established a Ganga temple beside the Pashupati temple in Nepal.
In 1890, Gangabai came to Kolkata, the political and cultural hub of British India, and was scandalized by the deplorable state of women’s education there. She set up a girls’ school and approached Narendranath Sen, the editor of the journal Indian Mirror, who introduced her to Maharani Swarnamoyee Devi of Kashimbazar. On the ground floor of Swarnmoyee Devi’s Upper Circular Road residence, the school “Mahakali Pathshala” was started with only 30 students on 19 April 1893, on the day of Akshay Tritiya, an auspicious day in the Bengali calendar. In 1896, the school was shifted to a rented house near Rajendra Mallick’s residence in Chorbagan. Later on, as the student strength of the school increased, a plot of land was purchased in Sukea Street, now Kailash Basu Street, on which the new school building was erected.
Vivekananda promised to assist Mataji financially, and within a few days Henrietta Muller, a disciple of Vivekananda contributed a cheque of Rs 50/- to Mataji. Both Sanskrit and vernacular languages were taught, and Sanskrit pundits were employed to teach Sanskrit. Mataji erected a temple of Lord Shiva and installed an idol of a goddess made of eight metals within the school premises. As many branches of the school emerged, Mataji renamed the school “Adi Mahakali Pathshala”. Meanwhile, as Mataji’s health was failing, she made a Trust Deed and built a Trust on 13 March 1906 to conduct the school properly, and for collection of funds and repayment of debts.
Adi Mahakali Pathshala still follows Mataji’s ideals devotedly and observes the rituals that she used to perform. Eminent scientist Satyendranath Basu graced the presidential chair of this school from 1954 to 1974.