Born on March 4, 1856, Toru Dutt was a literary prodigy who became India's first female poet to write in English and French. Despite living only 21 years, her impact on Indian literature was profound.

A polyglot, Toru mastered Sanskrit, French, Bengali, and English. Her translation of Sanskrit poetry into English in Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan introduced Indian mythology to Western audiences. She was also among the first Indians to write a novel in French, Le Journal de Mademoiselle d'Arvers.

Unknown to many, Toru and her siblings were homeschooled in a vast library, reading Shakespeare and Wordsworth as teenagers. She also maintained secret correspondences with leading European writers.

Her untimely death from tuberculosis in 1877 cut short a brilliant career, yet her work continues to inspire. On her birth anniversary, we honor this trailblazing poet whose words still echo across time.