Early life Sarala was born in
Jorasanko, Kolkata on 9 September 1872 to a well known Bengali intellectual family. Her father
Janakinath Ghosal was one of the first secretaries of the Bengal Congress. Her mother
Swarnakumari Devi, a noted author, was the daughter of
Debendranath Tagore, an eminent Brahmo leader and sister of poet
Rabindranath Tagore. Her older sister, Hironmoyee, was an author and founder of a widow's home. Sarla Devi's family was a follower of
Brahmoism, a religion founded by
Ram Mohan Roy and later developed by Sarala's grandfather Debendranath Tagore. In 1890, she earned her
BA in English literature from
Bethune College. She was awarded the college's first Padmavati Gold Medal for being the top female candidate in her BA examinations. From 1895 to 1899, she edited
Bharati jointly with her mother and sister, and then on her own from 1899 to 1907, with the goal of propagating patriotism and to raise up the literary standard of the journal. In 1904, she started the Lakshmi Bhandar (women's store) in Kolkata to popularize native handicrafts produced by women. In 1910, she founded the Bharat Stree Mahamandal (All India Women's Organization), With several branches around the country, it promoted education and vocational training for women without consideration of class, caste and religion. She travelled with Gandhi all over India. When apart, they frequently exchanged letters, and mutually admired each other. In one of the letter to Sarala, Gandhi wrote : Her only son, Dipak, married Gandhi's cousin
Maganlal Gandhi's daughter Radha. ==Family tree==