Gangabai Yagnik

Gangabai Pranshankar Yagnik (1868–1937) was a Gujarati writer from 19th century India. A teacher and an Ayurveda-practitioner by profession, she wrote Hunnar Mahasagar which was a compilation of about 2080 trades, skills and tips for self-employment. She is considered as the first female Gujarati writer.efn-ua|The claim is controversial due to nature of her work which is not considered literary by scholars. Instead, Nandkunwar Ba is considered as the first female writer for her travelogue Bhumandal No Pravas published in 1898. She was native of Vavol (near Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India). Her husband died in 1881 when she was thirteen. She had refused to tonsure her head according to the custom of her time. She established Garbhajivan Aushadhalaya, a hospital in Mansa, around 1879 and later started its branch at Ahmedabad.

Legacy Gangabai Yagnik is considered as the first female Gujarati writer. The claim is controversial because her writing is not considered literary by some scholars such as Raghuveer Chaudhari. SRISTI, a foundation based in Ahmedabad, collected information on her and republished new editions of Hunnar Mahasagar in 2003. It also campaigned for her recognition in the history of Gujarati literature. Historian Shirin Mehta noted that she advocated swadeshi (local produce) much before Mahatma Gandhi popularised it.