Talk:Rani Rasmani
By Vishal Agarwal
Rānī Rāsmanī (1793–1861)' was born in a poor family but was married to a wealthy landlord named Rājacandra. She had three daughters from the marriage. Despite her wealth, she lived a simple life. Impressed by her intelligence, her husband regularly consulted her on important matters, and under her advice the estate prospered greatly.
After her husband’s death in 1836, Rāsmanī devoted herself to philanthropy. She noticed the difficulties faced by pilgrims traveling from Kolkātā to the Jagannātha Mandir at Purī, so she funded the construction of a long road from the Subarṇarekhā river to Purī. She also repaired sacred ghāṭas on the Bhāgīrathī river near Kolkātā, and made generous donations to Hindu College (now Presidency College) and the Imperial Library (now the National Library).
When the British East India Company imposed heavy taxes on fishermen of the Huglī river, Rāsmanī leased a section of the river and built large barricades, blocking Company trade ships. When the British protested, she replied, “I have leased this river and your ships disturb the spawning of my tenants’ fish. I will not remove the barricades.” Eventually, the Company relented and abolished the tax on fishermen, and only then did Rāsmanī remove the barricades.
Once, when Company soldiers attacked her estate after quarreling with her guards, Rāsmanī stood at the gate of her Rāma Mandir and challenged them to face her before touching the temple. Intimidated, the soldiers retreated.
On a pilgrimage to Vārāṇasī, she dreamt of Devī Kālī, who commanded her to return to Kolkātā and build a temple there. Thus arose the famous Dakṣiṇeśvara Kālī Mandir. She appointed Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa as its priest and entrusted management to her son-in-law, Māthur Bābu. Through her patronage, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa’s divine message spread far and wide.
On one occasion, while distracted by a business matter during Rāmakṛṣṇa’s bhajan, the saint slapped her. Her attendants rushed to retaliate, but she stopped them, saying, “Mā Kālī herself has punished me through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa for my inattentiveness.”
In her later years, Rānī Rāsmanī retired from active affairs to live in devotion and spiritual practice, guided by Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa until her passing. Truly, it was her vision and patronage that gave Bhārat one of its greatest saints.