Rani Bhabani:
-
Rani Bhabani was from Bengal. She was married to Raja Ramkanta Ray, the zamindar of the Natore estate in Rajshahi (present-day Bangladesh).
-
After the death of her husband in 1748, the zamindari passed on to the hands of Bhabani, making her one among the very few women zamindars of the time.
-
Bhabani is remembered most for her philanthropic efforts.
-
She is known to have built schools, roadways and water tanks across the Rajshahi district.
-
She is believed to have built more than 350 temples.
-
She is also known to have built the Durga Kund Mandir in Varanasi.
-
She also desired to build a Kashi in Bengal and, consequently, in 1755 a complex consisting of a dozen temples was built in Murshidabad.
-
Why in News? Mentioned by PM in his speech