Schoolchildren help restore forgotten memorial to girl lost to cause of women's education

Time of India

2 days ago

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Pune: Neither the police nor the public gave a second glance at the old, crumbling fountain near Faraskhana police station's parking lot.
Few knew it stood as a father's tribute to a daughter lost to the cause of women's education.
That changed when a group of Class VI students from DPS Hinjewadi decided to clean it and restore its glory.
Around 137 years ago, education for girls was fiercely opposed. But Dr Vishram Ramji Ghollay or Ghole, a Pune-based surgeon and member of a reformist group Satyashodhak Samaj, founded by social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, defied the norm by sending his young daughter to school.
Shraddha Kumbhojkar, professor of history at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, said, "Based on contemporary memories and retelling of stories from the descendants, we know about the history of this water fountain.
Dr Vishram Ramji Ghole sent his daughter Kashibai to a school founded by the Phule couple and their colleagues, which was one of the earliest schools for girls operated by Indians. Dr Ghole braved huge opposition from the society, including his relatives, for committing the 'sin' of sending his daughters to school.
"
According to the epitaph on the water fountain, Kashibai was born on Sept 13, 1869, and died on Sept 27, 1877 at the age of 8.
"Kashibai used to walk to the school from their home.
One day, as she was walking to school and requested water from some residents on the way, she was given poisoned water by them, leading to Kashibai's death. Grieving, Dr Ghole did not give up on the cause of female education. He constructed a drinking water fountain in 1880 so that anyone could drink clean water from it. The fountain-sculpture was adorned with a doll because Kashibai was lovingly called Bahuli, which means a doll.
Dr Ghole continued to educate other children, including his daughter, Gangubai. She went on to be a graduate and gave lectures on Indian culture in the US."
However, the fountain was displaced from its original place to a new location near Faraskhana police station when Pune Municipal Corporation decided to widen the road in 1952, said Mandar Lawate, another historian. "It ceased to be a water fountain in its new place and unfortunately fell into disrepair," said Lawate.
For decades, it lay neglected. Then came a heritage walk organised by Jayesh Paranjape of The Western Routes, which was attended by Siddharth Rajgarhia, director of Delhi Public School Hinjawadi. "I clicked pictures of the haud and showed them to students in the school who were very excited about the history of the place and wanted to do something about it. They first went on a heritage tour with Jayesh to see it for themselves.
The students not only brought attention to the forgotten memorial by speaking with the police personnel but also took the first step in restoring it by cleaning the space," said Rajgarhia.
This was an eye-opener for police personnel. "Except for people who are originally from Pune or have an interest in history, nobody knew about this structure. While it is near Faraskhana police station, the structure is currently under Vishrambaug police station's jurisdiction and they decided to clean it up," said senior PI Prashant Bhasme from Faraskhana police station.
Even Vijaymala Pawar, the senior PI at Vishrambaug police station, said they didn't know about the structure until students showed up.
"It was in the parking area in a bad condition. After the students cleaned it up, our people painted and restored it. But of course, the fountain is not working."
"The opening ceremony of the haud was done on Bhaubij day at the hands of Dada Bhutkar, a great social reformer from Matang community.
It was declared open to all, irrespective of caste or religion, and Bahulicha Haud became a celebrated spot, particularly during Ganesh Festival. Now the haud is no more, and the statue of Bahuli on the top has disappeared. What remains is the original marble epitaph in the symbolic shape of a book with inscriptions composed by Dr Ghole in Marathi and English," said Sheela Padmanabhan, whose maternal grandfather was Vishram Ghole.
The doll's statue on the fountain has been replaced with a woman's statue. "We installed the statue on the fountain while helping the police in the restoration work of the haud," said Sunil Rasane, president of Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust.
Pune: Neither the police nor the public gave a second glance at the old, crumbling fountain near Faraskhana police station's parking lot.
Few knew it stood as a father's tribute to a daughter lost to the cause of women's education.
That changed when a group of Class VI students from DPS Hinjewadi decided to clean it and restore its glory.
Around 137 years ago, education for girls was fiercely opposed. But Dr Vishram Ramji Ghollay or Ghole, a Pune-based surgeon and member of a reformist group Satyashodhak Samaj, founded by social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, defied the norm by sending his young daughter to school.
Shraddha Kumbhojkar, professor of history at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, said, "Based on contemporary memories and retelling of stories from the descendants, we know about the history of this water fountain.
Dr Vishram Ramji Ghole sent his daughter Kashibai to a school founded by the Phule couple and their colleagues, which was one of the earliest schools for girls operated by Indians. Dr Ghole braved huge opposition from the society, including his relatives, for committing the 'sin' of sending his daughters to school.
"
According to the epitaph on the water fountain, Kashibai was born on Sept 13, 1869, and died on Sept 27, 1877 at the age of 8.
"Kashibai used to walk to the school from their home.
One day, as she was walking to school and requested water from some residents on the way, she was given poisoned water by them, leading to Kashibai's death. Grieving, Dr Ghole did not give up on the cause of female education. He constructed a drinking water fountain in 1880 so that anyone could drink clean water from it. The fountain-sculpture was adorned with a doll because Kashibai was lovingly called Bahuli, which means a doll.
Dr Ghole continued to educate other children, including his daughter, Gangubai. She went on to be a graduate and gave lectures on Indian culture in the US."
However, the fountain was displaced from its original place to a new location near Faraskhana police station when Pune Municipal Corporation decided to widen the road in 1952, said Mandar Lawate, another historian. "It ceased to be a water fountain in its new place and unfortunately fell into disrepair," said Lawate.
For decades, it lay neglected. Then came a heritage walk organised by Jayesh Paranjape of The Western Routes, which was attended by Siddharth Rajgarhia, director of Delhi Public School Hinjawadi. "I clicked pictures of the haud and showed them to students in the school who were very excited about the history of the place and wanted to do something about it. They first went on a heritage tour with Jayesh to see it for themselves.
The students not only brought attention to the forgotten memorial by speaking with the police personnel but also took the first step in restoring it by cleaning the space," said Rajgarhia.
This was an eye-opener for police personnel. "Except for people who are originally from Pune or have an interest in history, nobody knew about this structure. While it is near Faraskhana police station, the structure is currently under Vishrambaug police station's jurisdiction and they decided to clean it up," said senior PI Prashant Bhasme from Faraskhana police station.
Even Vijaymala Pawar, the senior PI at Vishrambaug police station, said they didn't know about the structure until students showed up.
"It was in the parking area in a bad condition. After the students cleaned it up, our people painted and restored it. But of course, the fountain is not working."
"The opening ceremony of the haud was done on Bhaubij day at the hands of Dada Bhutkar, a great social reformer from Matang community.
It was declared open to all, irrespective of caste or religion, and Bahulicha Haud became a celebrated spot, particularly during Ganesh Festival. Now the haud is no more, and the statue of Bahuli on the top has disappeared. What remains is the original marble epitaph in the symbolic shape of a book with inscriptions composed by Dr Ghole in Marathi and English," said Sheela Padmanabhan, whose maternal grandfather was Vishram Ghole.
The doll's statue on the fountain has been replaced with a woman's statue. "We installed the statue on the fountain while helping the police in the restoration work of the haud," said Sunil Rasane, president of Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust.