{{short description|Wife of Jyotirindranath Tagore, sister-in-law of Rabindranath Tagore}} {{distinguish|Kadambini Ganguly}} {{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox person | birth_name = Matangini Gangopadhyay | birth_date = {{Birth date|1859|07|05|df=yes}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1884|04|21|1859|07|05|df=yes}} | name = Kadambari Devi | image = Kadambari Devi- কাদম্বরী দেবী.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Photograph of Kadambari Devi | native_name = কাদম্বরী দেবী | birth_place = Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (today Kolkata, India) | death_place = Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, [British India | spouse = {{marriage|Jyotirindranath Tagore|1868|1884|reason=died}} | relatives = Debendranath, Dwijendranath, Satyendranath, Hemendranath, Swarnakumari, Rabindranath Tagore (in-laws) | children = | family = Tagore family }} '''Kadambari Devi''' (born '''Matangini Gangopadhyay'''; 5 July 1859 – 21 April 1884) was a literary critic and the wife of Bengali intellect Jyotirindranath Tagore. A member of Tagore family, she was the sister-in-law of Rabindranath Tagore.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=TSC |first=Alex Dunedin |date=2019-02-05 |title=Kadambari Devi (1859-1884); Rabindranath's sister-in-law |url=https://scotstagore.org/kadambari-devi-1859-1884-rabindranaths-sister-in-law/ |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=The Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies |language=en-GB}}</ref> Between the spring and autumn of 1883, Jyotirindranath, Kadambari and Rabindranath lived in Karwar. Today she's mostly known for her close relationship with Rabindranath. She committed suicide on April 1884.<ref name=":1" />
==Early life== Kadambari Devi was born as Matangini Gangopadhyay to Shyam Ganguly and Trailokyasundari Devi in Kolkata, West Bengal, on 5 July 1859. She was the third child to her parents. Her grandfather Jaganmohan Gangopadhyay was a famous musician whom she took her music lessons from.
==Marriage== She was ten years younger than her husband Jyotirindranath Tagore who married her on 5 July 1868 (২৫শে আষাঢ়, ১২৭৫ বঙ্গাব্দ), when she was only nine years old and nearly the same age as her brother-in-law Rabindranath Tagore, being only two years older than him.<ref>Mallika Sengupta, Kobir Bouthan & Tamal Ghosh, Kadambari, 432 pp., (A novel), Ujjwal Sahitya Mandir, College St. Kolkata</ref> Her husband arranged for her to be educated.<ref name = "Banglapedia">{{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Wakil |year=2012 |chapter=Tagore, Jyotirindranath |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Tagore,_Jyotirindranath |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}</ref>
She inspired young Rabindranath in composing many of his poems with her creative feedback and comments. She was also a good friend and playmate. She was one of the women who played a very important part in his life. Her relationship with Tagore was controversial but actually it was a more friendly relationship between them and had elements of tragedy. thumb|Jnanadanandini Devi, Satyendranath Tagore, Kadambari Devi and Jyotirindranath Tagore (1867) [[File:Rabindranath Tagore Woman Face.jpg|thumb|Face of a woman, inspired by Kadambari Devi,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Som |first=Reba |title=Rabindranath Tagore: The Singer and His Song |publisher=Viking |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-670-08248-3<!--0670082481--> |ol=23720201M |author-link=Reba Som |pages= 144–145}}</ref> by Rabindranath Tagore. Ink on paper. National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi]]
==Death== Kadambari Devi died by suicide on 21 April 1884, a few months after the marriage of Rabindranath Tagore. The Tagore family remained silent about the incident, and no official explanation was ever documented. Over the years, however, various speculations have surfaced suggesting that emotional isolation and a profound sense of loneliness may have led her to take this drastic step. Married at a young age to Jyotirindranath Tagore, Kadambari Devi entered the Tagore household where her closest companion was the young Rabindranath. Their deep bond, rooted in friendship, literature, and intellectual exchange, gradually diminished following Rabindranath’s marriage. This widening emotional distance is believed to have deeply affected her. Compounding her sorrow was the rumored affair between her husband Jyotirindranath and the famous actress Binodini Dasi, who was allegedly pregnant with his child. On learning of this, and overwhelmed by emotional despair, Kadambari Devi consumed opium and ended her life. Her untimely death left a lasting impact on Rabindranath Tagore, influencing much of his early poetic expression and inner emotional world.
==In popular culture== * The classic film ''Charulata'' by Satyajit Ray which was based on Rabindranath Tagore's ''Nastanirh'' was reported to have been speculated to be based on her life and her relationship with Tagore.<ref>{{Cite web | title=E-paper | url=http://epaper.prajavani.net | access-date=2026-05-30 | website=epaper.prajavani.net}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=প্রতিবেদন |first=নিজস্ব |title=Kadambari Devi: 'ঘুষ দিয়ে চুপ করানো হয়' সংবাদমাধ্যমকে! জন্মের ১৬৩ বছর পরও চর্চায় রবি-কাদম্বরী সম্পর্ক! |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/photogallery/kadambari-devi-died-138-years-ago-reflection-on-her-relationship-with-rabindranath-tagore-in-film-and-novel-dgtl-photogallery/cid/1340101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417234124/https://www.anandabazar.com/photogallery/kadambari-devi-died-138-years-ago-reflection-on-her-relationship-with-rabindranath-tagore-in-film-and-novel-dgtl-photogallery/cid/1340101 |archive-date=17 April 2023 |access-date=2025-03-20 |language=bn |url-status=live }}</ref> * In Sukanta Roy's Bengali film ''Chhelebela'' (2002) Debashree Roy played the character alongside Jisshu Sengupta portraying Tagore.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/apr/26tagore.htm|title=Chhelebela will capture the poet's childhood|website=rediff.com|access-date=25 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> * In Bandana Mukhopadhyay's Bengali film ''Chirosakha He'' (2007) Deepanjana Paul played the character alongside Sayandip Bhattacharya playing Tagore.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tagore-or-touch-him-not-/articleshow/2198707.cms|title=Tagore or touch-him-not|website=The Times of India|date=13 July 2007 |access-date=1 March 2020}}</ref> * In Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali documentary film ''Jeevan Smriti'' (2011) Raima Sen played the character alongside Samadarshi Dutta playing Tagore.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu/20130807/282346857440878 |title=Celebrating Tagore |date=7 August 2013 |work=The Hindu |access-date=1 March 2020}}</ref> * In Suman Ghosh's Bengali film ''Kadambari'' (2015) Konkona Sen Sharma played the character alongside Parambrata Chatterjee portraying Tagore.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Times of India | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/Kadambari-explores-Tagore-and-his-sis-in-laws-relationship-responsibly/articleshow/47146128.cms | title=Kadambari explores Tagore and his sis-in-law's relationship responsibly | date=12 January 2017 | first=Kathakali | last=Banerjee | accessdate=15 October 2018 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Cite web | title=কাদম্বরী - YouTube | url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLEJ8D7mRSBafh9G0B82n0ilmuRQbYYjtd&v=qDUdC_4XxuE | access-date=2026-05-30 | website=m.youtube.com}} * ''The Telegraph''. [https://archive.today/20130204054452/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040507/asp/atleisure/story_3218221.asp Spotlight on the women in Tagore's life]. 7 May 2004.
{{Tagore family}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Kadambari}} Category:People from Kolkata Category:People from the Bengal Presidency Category:Suicides in India Category:Painters from British India Category:1859 births Category:1884 deaths