Sushila Sundari
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Sushila Sundari সুশীলাসুন্দরী | |
|---|---|
 Sushila Sundari posing for photograph, reclining herself on Lakshmi, a tigress, in its cage. | |
| Born | 1879 Calcutta, Bengal presidency, British India |
| Died | 1924 (aged 44–45) |
| Occupation | Circus performer |
| Known for | First Indian woman to perform in a circus |
| Spouse | Mr Motilal Bose |
Sushila Sundari Bose (1879–1924)[citation needed] was the first Indian woman to perform in a circus.[1] She was known for her daring acts with the tigers at the Great Bengal Circus.
Like her husband, Motilal Bose (son of Manomohan Bose and elder brother of Priyanath Bose), Sushila Sundari Bose was born into a zamindar family of the Rambagan area in the year 1879 of old Calcutta. Her primary education was started at Bethune School. In her childhood she learnt horse riding and wrestling with the other members of her family. Later she became the daughter-in-law of the famous Bose family of Chhota Jagulia, North 24 Parganas District of present-day West Bengal. She was fluent in English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi and many other Indian languages. Her father's family was against her involvement in the circus, but her husband gave her support. In the circus, before her performance with tigers her acrobatics, and other performances like cartwheel and daredevil performance were very popular. Very little is known about her family background and early life. It is said that she is probably from a branch of the Mitra family of Kolkata.[citation needed] Her sister Kumudini Devi was also a performer at the Great Bengal Circus.[1]
