Mrinalini Devi

Mrinalini Devi (born Bhabatarini Roy Choudhury; 1 March 1874 – 23 November 1902 ) was a translator and the wife of Nobel laureate poet, philosopher, author and musician Rabindranath Tagore. She was from the Jessore District, where her father worked at the Tagore estate. In 1883, at the age of nine, she married Tagore.

Early life Mrinalini Devi was born to Benimadhob Roy Choudhury and Dakshayoni at Phultala village, in the then Jessore of Bengal Presidency in British India (now in Khulna, Bangladesh). Her exact date of birth is not known. According to one estimate of a biographer, she was born on 1 March 1874. Another gave her birth as 1872.

Marriage to Rabindranath Tagore

The paka dekha, a ritual in which members of the groom's family come to see the bride, was performed by Rabindranath Tagore’s elder brother Jyotirindranath Tagore, his sisters-in-law Jnanadanandini Devi and Kadambari Devi, and Rabindranath's nephew Surendranath Tagore. Although it is known that Rabindranath accompanied his family members from Jashore to Mrinalini Devi’s house, it is not known whether he participated in the ritual. At the time of marriage she was 9 and Tagore was twenty-two years of age. They married on 24 Agrahayana 1290 in the Bengali calendar which is roughly 9 December 1883 in Gregorian calendar.

After her marriage, Rabindranath gave her the name "Mrinalini". Tagore biographers assume that the name was designed to rhyme with "Nalini", a name he had fondly assigned to Annapurna Turkhad (daughter of Atmaram Pandurang), who was his former love-interest.

Mrinalini Devi was not forced to do the household chores immediately after her marriage. Devendranath admitted her and Hemendranath Tagore's wife Kshinatanu to the Loreto House school to teach them English. He also bought them books, slates and school uniforms. After studying at the school for one year, Rabindranath appointed Pandit Herambachandra Bidyaratna, a home tutor, to teach her Sanskrit. His elder brother Birendranath's son Balendranath taught her English, Bengali and Sanskrit literature. Mark Twain became her favourite author.

Children On 25 October 1886, Mrinalini Devi gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Madhurilata and nicknamed Bela. In 1888, she gave birth to a son, Rathindranath. In 1891, she gave birth to a daughter, Renuka, and three years later, she gave birth to another daughter, Mira. In 1896, her youngest child Shamindranath was born.

Death By the middle of 1902, Mrinalini Devi became seriously ill. Subsequently, she and Rabindranath moved from Shantiniketan to Calcutta on 12 September. Doctors failed to diagnose her disease and she died the night of 23 November at the age of just 29 years.

Image According to contemporary records, Mrinalini Devi was a woman with great personality.