Google Doodle celebrates 155th birth anniversary of Bengali poet-activist Kamini Roy

Google Doodle on Saturday honoured the celebrated Bengali poet, educator, and activist, Kamini Roy on her 155th birth anniversary.

Born at a time when women were expected to focus on household activities and marriage, Kamini Roy went on to become a prominent feminist advocate in the subcontinent.

Kamini Roy was born in 1864 in the Bakerganj district of British India—now part of Bangladesh. She grew up in a well to do family- his brother was elected Mayor of Calcutta, and her sister was a physician for Nepal’s Royal Family.

Kamini Roy's father Chandi Charan Sen was a judge and a writer. In 1894 she married Kedarnath Roy.

Interested in poetry from a very early age, Kamini published a book called 'Alo O Chhaya' on poetry while she was doing her  BA honours in Sanskrit. 

"In college, she met another student, Abala Bose, who went on to be known for her social work in women's education and alleviating the condition of widows. Her friendship with Bose would inspire her interest in advocating for women's rights," Google said.

She graduated with a degree in Sanskrit from Bethune College in 1996 and started teaching there in the same year.

Advocating for the rights of women in India, she worked immensely to help Bengali women earn the right to vote in 1926.

In 1929, she was awarded the Jagattarini medal by Calcutta University for her works in literature.  

Kamini breathed her last on 27 September 1933 while she was staying in Hazaribagh with her family.

A trailblazer, her contribution to women's rights, continues to provide fodder for contemporary feminist movements in India.

(With inputs from ANI)