Anandi Gopal Joshi: All You Need To Know About India's First Female Doctor

Who Was Anandi Gopal Joshi?

Born with the name 'Yamuna', Anandi Gopal Joshi was born into a family of landlords. She was married at the age of nine to Gopalrao Joshi. Joshi was a supporter of women's education. Losing their first child due to lack of health was a turning point in their lives. After marriage, he enrolled his wife Anandi in a missionary school. The couple later moved to Calcutta. Anandi continued her studies in the city and learned to speak Sanskrit and Hindi.

It was unusual for any husband to support their wife on the education front. However, Gopalrao Joshi dedicatedly worked towards Anandi's education. He wanted her to learn medicine and achieve success in the sphere.

Reportedly, in the year 1880, Gopalrao wrote a letter to Royal Wilder, a renowned American missionary, and shared with him his wife's interest in medicine. Theodicia Carpenter, a resident of New Jersey happened to read the letter and got impressed by Anandi's interest in learning medicine. She wrote to Wilder and offered support for Anandi.

Anandi Gopal Joshi's Journey To Learning Medicine

Before heading to the United States for her studies in medicine, Anandi Gopal Joshi addressed a public hall where she volunteered herself as a woman doctor and expressed the lack of women doctors in the country. During the time Anandi was to leave for the US, her health started deteriorating. She suffered from symptoms like fatigue and weakness. However, her husband urged her to go and set an example for all other women in India.

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At the age of 17, Anandi enrolled in the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. She soon graduated in the year 1886 as an MD (Doctor of Medicine). Her thesis, 'Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos' that included information from Ayurvedic texts and American textbooks.

The same year, Anandi, lovingly known as Anandibai returned to India where she received a grand welcome. She was appointed the physician in charge of the female ward at the local Albert Edward Hospital. However, according to reports, Anandibai couldn't practise medicine for long. Two to three months later, Anandibai was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She died at the age of 22. Reportedly, her ashes were sent to Theodicia Carpenter who placed them in her family cemetery at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in New York.

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Anandi Gopal Joshi was an inspiration to millions. Even after her death, many continued to write about her achievements at such a young age. American feminist writer Caroline Wells Healey Dall wrote Anandi's biography in the year 1888. A show revolving around the life of Anandi and Gopal, titled 'Anandi Gopa' also broadcasted on Doordarshan.