Yes, she is Sarala Devi, neice of Ravindra N Tagore. Her husband and Sunil Dutt were Pb Mohyals. Who was Saraladevi Chowdharani and how did she impact the life of one of India's greatest sons, MahatmaGandhi? She stares poignantly out of the early 20th century black and white pictures, clad in rich silk sareesand her black hair flowing loose. Her bold, sharp features and intelligent eyes full of depth stare out ofyellowed pictures. Calling out to unravel a strange story that was buried with her remarkable life, which tookan unusual turn when the Mahatma stayed at her Lahore residence in 1919 when her Punjabi husband Rambhuj Dutt Chowdhary was in jail.
Swami Vivekananda had once commented to Sister Nivedita that Saraladevi had the perfect education. Martin Greene in his book Gandhi: Voice of a New Age Revolution mentions that Sarala was educated at the Bethune school and then she studied physics at the Science Academy. After getting a degree in English, shewent on to study French, Persian and Sanskrit. Sarala was an accomplished musician and poetess; she composed many patriotic songs and issued a collection of them, Satagan. In 1895, she taught at a school in Mysore for a year and returned only after falling sick. She edited Bharati for a year and was an active participant in the militant nationalist movement of Bengal. She attended meetings of societies that had all male members and presided over boxing and wrestling matches organised by her. She was probably the onlywoman leader in Bengal's militant nationalist movement.
A clear hint of Sarala and Mahatma Gandhi's unusual relationship is given in a recent book by Rajmohan Gandhi, Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, his People and an Empire . Rajmohan quotes from one ofGandhi's letters written on October 27, 1919, and addressed to Anasuyaben in Ahemdabad: "Saraladevi'scompany is very endearing. She looks after me very well." Rajmohan further adds that "the following monthssaw a special relationship that Gandhi called 'indefinable' after its character changed in June 1920. Inbetween he had not only overcome his caution regarding exclusive relationships but even thought of a'spiritual marriage', whatever that may have meant, with Saraladevi.
Here are some quotes from Gandhi's letter to Sarala dated May 2,1920: "You will continue to haunt me in my sleep. No wonder that Panditji ( Rambhuj Dutt ,Sarala's husband)calls you the greatest shakthi.You may cast the spell over him.You are performing the same trick over me"
Professor Datta, who has been researching Gandhi and Sarala's relationship for a while mentions to TheTribune, "There is no doubt that Gandhi was drawn to her and dazzled by her, this is mentioned by both Rajmohan and Martin. At that time she was 47 and he was 50 years of age. From October 1919 to March 1920, Gandhi stayed in Lahore and she later visited Sabarmati several times. There was much talk of their relationship, whisperings, innuendos, etc and this relationship was terminated by the efforts of Devdas Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and especially Rajagopalachari in June 1920, when the latter sent a letter to Mahatma Gandhi, asking him to hold back."
Datta adds, "And what of Sarala, she was really an independent-minded woman who wanted to know whereshe stood with Gandhi in her relationship with him. She later complained that she gave up her prestige, hersocial responsibilities, and moral traditions but for what. She possibly wanted a marital relationship and somelegality to what they shared and did not want to be a stooge or a guinea pig or a cat's paw and she wanted aclear space for herself in his life and she was utterly uncompromising on this."
Mahatma Gandhi had also written so many so called spiritual love letters to Sarla Devi. Below is a copy of one of those letters:
343. LETTER TO SARLA DEVI
February 1, 1940
MY DEAR SARLA,
Take a few minutes tonight after prayer.
Love.
BAPU
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