In 2019, just a few days before my first son Dikshant was born, my wife and I were watching a Marathi movie on television called Anandi Gopal. That evening stayed with me in ways I cannot fully explain.

We had already decided that if we were blessed with a baby girl, we would name her Anandi, after Dr. Anandibai Joshi, India's first woman doctor. But destiny blessed us with a son. Still, that name, that story, and that inspiration never left my heart.

What moved me most was not only Anandi's courage but also the quiet determination of her husband, Gopalrao Joshi. He lived in a time when women were rarely given the chance to study, speak, or dream freely. Yet he stood beside her, believing that education and equality were not sins, but sacred duties.

Every man who wishes for a daughter has already started to evolve from strength to sensitivity, from authority to understanding.

Personal Profile of Dr. Anandibai Joshi

Detail Information
Full Name Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi
Birth Name Yamuna
Born 31 March 1865, Kalyan, Maharashtra
Married To Gopalrao Joshi (postal clerk & social reformer)
Education M.D., Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, USA
Thesis Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos
Achievement First Indian woman to earn a medical degree
Position Physician-in-Charge, Female Ward, Albert Edward Hospital, Kolhapur
Died 26 February 1887 (age 21)
Legacy Crater on Venus named "Joshee"; Govt of India stamp (2016); Film Anandi Gopal (2019)

Who Was Dr. Anandi Joshi

Anandibai Joshi was born as Yamuna on 31 March 1865 in Kalyan, near Mumbai. She came from a Maharashtrian Brahmin family that had fallen on difficult times. Following the customs of that era, she was married at the age of nine to Gopalrao Joshi, a widower and postal clerk who was about twenty years older than her. After marriage, he renamed her Anandi.

At the age of fourteen, Anandi gave birth to a baby boy. But tragically, the child lived for only ten days because proper medical care was not available. That painful moment changed her life forever. She decided that no other woman should suffer the same helplessness.

Encouraged by her husband, she began studying seriously. Imagine this happening in the 1800s, when even basic education was extremely rare for girls. People criticized them, insulted them, and warned Gopalrao that he was destroying family honour. But he never gave up on her dream.

In 1880, Gopalrao wrote a letter to Royal Wilder, a well-known American missionary, asking for help. The letter was published in The Missionary Review and eventually reached a kind woman named Theodicia Carpenter from Roselle, New Jersey. She was so moved by Anandi's desire to study medicine and Gopalrao's support for his wife that she wrote back to them. Theodicia and Anandi developed a close friendship, calling each other "aunt" and "niece." She would later host Anandi in New Jersey during her stay in America.

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Before leaving for the United States, Anandi addressed a gathering at Serampore College Hall in 1883. She spoke about the persecution she and her husband had faced. She stressed the urgent need for female doctors in India. She explained that Hindu women, constrained by cultural norms, would feel more comfortable receiving medical care from female doctors rather than male physicians. In that speech, she said something powerful: "I volunteer myself as one."

In 1883, at the age of 19, Anandi travelled to New York from Calcutta by ship. She wore her traditional sarees, spoke softly but with clarity, and carried the dreams of countless Indian women on her shoulders.

She joined the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The harsh American winters, unfamiliar food, and intense studies took a toll on her already fragile health. Despite battling tuberculosis and frequent bouts of illness, she persevered with remarkable determination.

On 11 March 1886, Anandi graduated with a medical degree at the age of 21. Her thesis, Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos, explored childbirth practices in India using both traditional Ayurvedic knowledge and modern American medical literature. It was a beautiful bridge between two worlds.

Dr. Anandibai Joshee with Kei Okami and Sabat Islambooly at Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania graduation 1886
Dr. Anandibai Joshee received her medical degree from Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1886. This historic photograph shows her alongside fellow graduates Kei Okami (center) and Sabat Islambooly (right). These three remarkable women made history as the first female physicians from India, Japan, and Syria respectively to earn Western medical degrees.
Photo source: Wikipedia

Her achievement was celebrated across oceans. Queen Victoria herself sent her a congratulatory message. Newspapers in Philadelphia and Bombay called her "a miracle from the East." She had done what seemed impossible.

Her Final Days

Anandi returned to India in November 1886 with great honour and hope. The government of the princely state of Kolhapur appointed her as the physician-in-charge of the female ward at Albert Edward Hospital. She was finally ready to serve the women of her country.

But her health had already started failing. The tuberculosis she had contracted during her studies in America continued to worsen. Despite treatment from both Western doctors and traditional Indian physicians, her condition deteriorated rapidly.

On 26 February 1887, just one month before her 22nd birthday, she passed away in Pune. Her ashes were sent to Theodicia Carpenter in the United States, where they were placed in the family cemetery at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in New York. Her tombstone carries a simple but powerful inscription: "First Brahmin woman to leave India to obtain an education."

Whenever I think of this, my heart feels heavy. She studied so hard, fought society with such courage, travelled to a foreign land alone, earned the respect of the world, and yet she could not serve as a doctor for long. That part of her story always makes me emotional. Sometimes it even brings tears to my eyes.

It reminds me that life may be short, but purpose never dies. Her effort became a seed that later bloomed into thousands of women doctors across India.

The Man Who Stood Beside Her

Gopalrao Joshi deserves equal respect for being the wind beneath her wings. At a time when men controlled women's choices, he chose to support his wife's education above everything else.

He was not a perfect man. Historical records show that he was intense and obsessive about Anandi's education, sometimes to the point of harshness. But what made him different from other men of his time was his unwavering belief that his wife deserved the chance to become something more.

He faced humiliation from society but continued to believe that his wife's education was more important than his own reputation. When missionaries asked him to convert to Christianity in exchange for help, he refused but still found other ways to support Anandi's dream.

He once wrote to a friend that a woman's mind is not a piece of property to be locked away. Those words still feel revolutionary today.

He was not just her husband. He was her teacher, her supporter, and her partner in purpose. When she left for America, he stayed behind in India but kept encouraging her through letters, even when people told him he had made a mistake.

Gopalrao's courage reminds every husband that love is not control. Love is when you hold someone's hand and say, "Go ahead, I believe in you."

My Reflection as a Father

When I think of Anandi and Gopalrao, I feel both admiration and gratitude. Their story gives me strength as a father.

I look at my son Dikshant and remind myself that real progress begins at home. We must teach our children that men and women are not competitors but companions in building a better world.

If my son becomes a doctor one day, I want to name his clinic Dr. Anandi Gopalrao Joshi Memorial Hospital. Perhaps it could be in a rural area where women still struggle to access quality healthcare. It will be my way of keeping their story alive through service.

And I will make one simple rule for him: to give free treatment to every poor patient who walks in, especially pregnant women and mothers. That will be our family's small tribute to the woman who broke barriers and the man who stood beside her.

Father Amrut with son Dikshant envisioning Dr. Anandi Gopalrao Joshi Memorial Hospital serving rural communities
A vision of hope: Amrut with his son Dikshant, dreaming of establishing Dr. Anandi Gopalrao Joshi Memorial Hospital in a rural area to provide free healthcare to poor patients, especially pregnant women and mothers - keeping alive the legacy of India's first woman doctor.
If ever I have a daughter in this lifetime or another, I would still want to name her Anandi. Because for me, that name means courage, education, and equality.

What We Can Learn Today

Anandi Joshi's story is not only about one woman becoming a doctor. It is about breaking barriers, about believing that learning belongs to everyone. And Gopalrao's life teaches us that change begins with those who have the courage to stand beside what is right, even when the whole world stands against them.

Their story is more than 150 years old, yet it speaks directly to our hearts today. It tells us that empowerment begins not in laws or slogans, but in homes, in marriages, and in the way we raise our sons and daughters.

We often talk about women's empowerment, but true empowerment begins when men stop fearing equality and start celebrating it.

In 2016, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in her honour. Several hospitals and medical institutions across India bear her name. Her life has been documented in books, films, and even earned recognition from Google with a special Doodle on her 153rd birthday. But perhaps her greatest legacy is the thousands of women doctors in India today who walk in her footsteps.

Final Thought

A girl's birth is not a question of destiny. It is destiny's answer that humanity still has hope.

The story of Anandi and Gopalrao Joshi will always remind me that when one person dares to dream beyond their time, they can change the future for generations to come.

Author's Note

This story is very close to my heart.

I am not a historian or a researcher, just a simple learner who finds meaning in the courage of people who lived before us. Dr. Anandi Joshi and her husband Gopalrao showed me what true education and equality really mean.

Every time I write about them, I feel that India's real progress began not in offices or parliaments, but in small homes where one person decided to support another person's dream.

If this story touched you, share it with someone who still believes change is impossible. Because stories like theirs remind us that even in the toughest times, love and learning can rewrite destiny.

Written with respect and gratitude by
Amrut Chitragar
for Positive Growth and the spirit of learning with heart