Bahinabai Chaudhari

Bahinabai Chaudhari (Devanagari: बहिणाबाई चौधरी) (1880 – 3 December 1951) was a noted Marathi poet from Maharashtra, India.^[1]

Life and works

She was born in 24 August 1880 (Nagpanchami) in Asoda in Khandesh District (present-day Jalgaon district). At the age of 13, she was married to Nathuji Chaudhari and became an early widow.^[1]

Though Bahinabai was totally illiterate, she was an accomplished poet. She verbally composed her poems in ovi (ओवी) metre, and her son Sopandev Chaudhari (1907–1982) wrote them down on paper. Her poems in Leva Ganboli language reflected her minute observations of nature and human life around her. They displayed her sense of subtle humor and much wisdom.had composed beautiful and appealing poems.she was the master in ahirani poetry.

Bahinabai Choudhari had three sons, Omkar, Sopandev and Kashi.Sopandev became a renowned poet. His son Madhusudhan Choudhari who served in the police forces retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The late Madhusudhan Choudhari's son Rajeev Choudhari who is the great-grandson of Bahinabai Choudhari and his mother Suchitra Choudhari in whose name the publication house 'Suchitra Prakashan' runs; are the sole publishers of the wonderful book 'Bahinabaichi Gani'. The book contains the complete collection of her work that is loved by the Maharashtrian community world-over. Yeshwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University has recommended the book 'Bahinabaichi Gani' as a part of their curriculum from June 2012. This is one of the premier educational institutes in Maharashtra that has incorporated her great poetic work which encapsulates human values and deeper understanding of life.

References

Further reading

Bahinabai Chaudhari biography on Marathi Leva samaj portal Nashik Gazetteer mention of Bahinabai