Toru Dutt

Toru Dutt was the youngest of the three children born to Govin Chunder Dutta and Kshetramoni. They were converted to Christianity and the family was baptized in the Christ Church Kolkata. The little Dutt girls had an English governess who taught Aru and Toru. Their life was disturbed by the death of  Abju at the age of 14 years. After the death of Abju the Dutt's spent four more years in Calcutta. Her father moves away from the city to give Aru and Toru the advantages of foreign travel and education. They were the first Bengali girls to cross the seven seas and to sail abroad. Aru and Toru studied French there. They went on to Paris and then Italy and finally England. England never grew up on Tory's heart in the way that France had done. 

 The two girls attended higher lectures for women in Cambridge. Toru's letters to her relatives back home revealed a busy and Happy routine for the sisters, including Bible reading, the newspaper, English classics.

  The Dutt family sailed back to India in 1873. Letters written by Toru Datt to Mary her friend from Calcutta are a valuable source of information about her later life. The French poems sent to be published in the Poets Corner of Bengal magazine. Both Aru and Toru fell ill from phthisis. Aru Dutt died at the age of 20.

 After her European trip and because of their religion and her love for France, Toru could never adapt to the Bengali way of life. Her interest in legends and myths gave birth to a fascination and learning of Sanskrit. She read Ramayana and Mahabharata.Toru's first book, The Sheaf Gleaned in French fields was published. Toru too was died young when she was only 21 years old.

Toru Dutt had published a few prose essays including one on Henry Derozio in the Bengal magazine. Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan published posthumously.

Toru Dutt was the first Indian English writer to make extensive use of Indian at least Hindu mythology. The first poem Savitri is the longest and one of the most beautiful legends in the Mahabharata. Savitri tells the tale of the highest standard of love today. Lakshman presents the bond that binds the Indian family. Jogadhya Uma is taken from folklore,  the story of king Bharat.

 The Legend of Dhruva is from Vishnu Purana.  The story of the prince the son of less favored Queen. From his, KarmaDhruva leaves his father's house never to return and goes to the woods to live among the hermits and fulfill his promise by finding the highest heavens where he still shines star and where many see him at night. 

Bultoo or Ekalavya a low caste hunters son,  sacrifices his right thumb at his master's behalf.

 Sindhu is the story of ideal son dealing with the theme of parental love.