Durga Bhabhi , known as Durga Devi Vohra, was born into a Gujarati Brahmin family in Allahabad. After her mother passed away, her father took a vow of sannyas, leaving her in the care of her aunt. Despite these early challenges, she completed her education up to Class V and married Bhagwati Charan Vohra at the age of eleven. Bhagwati Charan, the son of a wealthy railway employee, introduced Durga Devi to the revolutionary movement in Lahore.
Durga Bhabhi played a crucial role in the Indian independence struggle, becoming an active member of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS). She rose to prominence during the group’s commemoration of Kartar Singh Sarabha’s death anniversary in 1926. Her involvement in the revolutionary movement deepened, especially after aiding Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru in their escape following the assassination of British police officer John P. Saunders.
Durga Bhabhi is most famous for her assistance in helping Bhagat Singh escape after he killed John P. Saunders. Her bravery and quick thinking earned her the nickname “Bhabhi,” meaning “elder brother’s wife,” among fellow revolutionaries. She also organized the funeral procession for Jatin Das, who died after a 63-day hunger strike, leading a large procession from Lahore to Calcutta.
Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Durga Bhabhi‘s husband, was actively involved in student politics and the revolutionary movement. He attended National College in Lahore, where he associated with prominent revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Yashpal, and Sukhdev. Bhagwati Charan’s involvement in the Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS) and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) further deepened Durga Bhabhi’s engagement in the struggle for India’s freedom.
Bhagwati Charan Vohra came from a well-off family, which allowed him to dedicate significant time and resources to social and political causes. Although some members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) were initially suspicious of him due to his wealth, he eventually gained their trust and became an integral part of the revolutionary movement.
By late 1928, Bhagwati Charan and his wife,Durga Bhabhi, had fully integrated into the HSRA. Bhagwati Charan took on a key role as one of the primary ideologues of the organization. He served as the Propaganda Secretary, authored a history of the revolutionary movement, and wrote influential treatises such as “The Philosophy of the Bomb” in response to Gandhi’s critique of revolutionary methods.
Durga Bhabhi and Bhagwati Charan had a son, Sachinanda, in 1925. Despite her responsibilities as a mother, Durga Bhabhi remained committed to her work, teaching at a girls’ college in Lahore until she was forced into hiding in 1929. Bhagwati Charan’s dedication to the revolutionary cause often required him to leave his family for extended periods, including a significant meeting in Calcutta in early December 1928.
After the assassination of John P. Saunders, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev sought Durga Devi’s help in escaping Lahore. Trusting Rajguru, whom she had never met before, she agreed to pose as Bhagat Singh’s wife to aid in their escape. With money left by her husband for emergencies, they successfully evaded police detection and traveled by train to Lucknow, where they changed trains for Calcutta.
Upon learning of his wife’s involvement in helping Bhagat Singh and Rajguru escape, Bhagwati Charan was initially surprised. However, he quickly expressed his admiration, acknowledging that he had not fully recognized his wife’s revolutionary spirit until that moment.
Chandrashekhar Azad, another key revolutionary, also managed to escape Lahore by disguising himself as a panda, escorting Sukhdev’s mother and sister on a pilgrimage. This clever disguise allowed him to evade capture and continue his revolutionary activities.
After attending sessions of the Calcutta Congress, Durga Devi returned to Lahore with her son. Meanwhile, Bhagwati Charan, who had learned the art of bomb-making from revolutionaries in Calcutta, became deeply involved in the preparations for the planned attack on the Legislative Assembly.
In early April 1929, Bhagwati Charan summoned Durga Devi to Delhi to bid farewell to Bhagat Singh. Durga Devi, along with Sushila, traveled to Delhi and met Bhagwati Charan, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Bhagat Singh in Qudsia Park. During a picnic, they shared Bhagat Singh’s favorite foods while discussing the upcoming Assembly bombing, fully aware of the risks and the uncertainty of Bhagat Singh’s survival.
At the picnic, Sushila performed a ritual by offering Bhagat Singh a protective tika made from her blood. After the picnic, Bhagat Singh went directly to the Assembly, where he, along with BK Dutt, carried out the bombing that would eventually lead to his execution. Azad managed to escape, while the rest of the group – Bhagwati Charan, Durga Devi, and Sushila – began their surveillance of the Assembly.
As the police were escorting Bhagat Singh away, Durga Devi’s young son, Sachi, recognized Bhagat Singh and shouted “Lamba Chacha!” (Tall Uncle!). Bhagat Singh, despite the risk, looked up, but this momentary distraction caused him to miss the opportunity to signal to his accomplices.
In the months following the Assembly bombing, law enforcement intensified their efforts to capture the revolutionaries. In Lahore, investigators discovered the HSRA’s bomb factory, rented under Bhagwati Charan’s name, leading to the arrest of Sukhdev, Jai Gopal, and Kishori Lal. Bhagwati Charan was not present during the raid and went into hiding to avoid capture.
Durga Devi was compelled to engage a lawyer to prevent police attempts to seize her family home, as her husband was labeled an absconder in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. Despite these challenges, she continued to support the families of revolutionaries in Lahore and served as a “post box,” receiving mail for those in hiding.
Durga Devi was actively involved in procuring weapons for the revolutionary cause. In early 1930, she was seen at a secret meeting in Delhi, concealing pistols sourced from the North-Western Frontier Province under her clothes.
Devi and her husband, Bhagwati Charan, helped Vimal Prasad Jain, an HSRA member, operate a bomb factory under the guise of a business called “Himalayan Toilets” on Qutub Road, Delhi. The factory produced explosives like picric acid, nitroglycerine, and fulminate of mercury.
In 1929, Bhagwati Charan, along with Yashpal, plotted to bomb the Viceroy’s train. He later joined forces with other revolutionaries, including Azad, Yashpal, Vaishampayan, Sukhdevraj, Sushila, and Durga Devi, in a plot to free Bhagat Singh from prison.
On May 28, 1930, Bhagwati Charan died while testing a bomb near the Ravi River. The bomb exploded prematurely, and although his accomplices sought help, it was too late to save him. His body was discovered by police in a shallow grave.
After her husband’s death, Durga Devi moved frequently to stay ahead of the police. She was seen leading a procession in Lahore during “Bhagat Singh and Dutt Day” and was also a part of a ladies’ procession mourning Jatindranath Das.
On 8 October 1930, Durga Devi participated in an attack on a European couple outside a police station in South Bombay, an event that was described as “the first instance in which a woman figured prominently in a terrorist outrage.” The attack was a response to the death sentences of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
Despite the police’s efforts, Durga Devi managed to escape capture after the Lamington Road incident. The authorities initially failed to recognize that a woman had been involved, allowing her time to leave Bombay undetected.
After Bhagat Singh surrendered for the 1929 Assembly bomb incident, Durga Devi attempted to assassinate Lord Hailey. Although Hailey escaped, some of his associates were injured. Devi was caught by the police and imprisoned for three years. She also sold her ornaments worth ₹3,000 to support Bhagat Singh and his comrades during their trial.
Durgawati Devi was different from other freedom fighters after India got its independence. She chose to live a simple life away from the limelight in Ghaziabad. Later, she opened a school for kids from poor backgrounds in Lucknow. Devi passed away in Ghaziabad on October 15, 1999, at the age of 92.
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