Pandita Ramabai
1858-1922 19th century Feast day: April 30
Seeking God without settling for a religion, until you find a person.
Who was Pandita Ramabai?
A Brahmin scholar who became a Christian, the first woman in India honoured with the title pandita for her mastery of Sanskrit. Widowed at 23, she gave her life to despised widows and orphan girls, founded the Mukti Mission at Kedgaon, and translated the Bible into Marathi from the Hebrew and Greek. Thousands of women found a life again in her home.
In their own words
One thing I knew by this time, that I needed Christ and not merely His religion.
I realized, after reading the fourth chapter of St. John's Gospel, that Christ was truly the Divine Saviour he claimed to be, and no one but He could transform and uplift the downtrodden women of India.
There were about seventy of us who met together each morning and prayed for the true conversion of all the Indian Christians, including ourselves, and for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all Christians of every land.