Honouring Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Unveils the Portrait of Pioneering Indian Fellow Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar

Unveiling of the painting of Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) on Friday 19^th June, unveiled a new portrait in the College’s Great Hall of a pioneering Indian female Fellow, Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar. The portrait- painted by the Indian visual artist Riaz Samadhan- was commissioned and donated to the College by Dr Kelavkar’s great grand nephew, Dr Shyam Kelavkar, who attended the unveiling with other relatives of Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar. The unveiling took place during a New Fellows’ Day in the College. The painting is the first of a global majority to be displayed anywhere in the College and the first oil painting of a female physician. 

Dr Daisy Cunynghame, the College’s Heritage Manager & Librarian, first contacted Dr Shyam Kelavkar in early 2025 when sourcing photographs of early College women for display, and has since worked closely with him after he generously offered to commission a painting of Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar and donate it to the College. 

Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar (1879-1969). Oil painting painted by visual artist Riaz Samadhan

Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar (1879-1969) was one of the earliest women physicians in India. She was a social reformer and the founder of the Kelavkar Medical Centre in Kolhapur. Kelavkar was one of the first two female students admitted to Fergusson College, Pune, before going on to attend the Grant Medical College in Mumbai. 

A postcard depicting Fergusson College. Image courtesy: Pushkar Sohoni 

Grant Medical College, Bombay.   Image Courtesy: Hinton, Henry ca 1855-1862 series. Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library.

Around the same time, she joined a social reform society which was focused on promoting female education, campaigning against the caste system and abolishing child marriage. With grants and funding from the state, Kelavkar was able to continue her medical studies in Dublin, Ireland, where she undertook a surgical course in obstetrics. After returning to her childhood home of Kolhapur, Dr Kelavkar worked tirelessly to improve maternity care. In addition to founding the Kelavkar Medical Centre, she wrote widely on topics relating to pregnancy, childbirth and infant care. Kelavkar was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1908 for her work on improving public health. 

Kaisar-i-Hind Medal (1908)

Commenting Professor Mark Strachan, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:

We are delighted and honoured to receive this portrait of Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar who became a Fellow of our College in 1955. We are extremely grateful to Dr Shyam Kelavkar for donating this wonderful portrait to the College and we were thrilled to welcome him and other family members, including his mother and father, to the College to see the painting on show in the Great Hall. 

Dr Shyam Kelavkar and family 

Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar was a pioneering female doctor whose legacy lives on in many ways, not least through the Kelavkar Medical Centre in Kolhapur which she founded. Her achievements remind us that excellence in medicine and patient care has always come from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar painting at the Great Hall

Dr Rosie Baruah, the College’s Honorary Librarian and Heritage Trustee, said:

As Honorary Librarian and Heritage Trustee of the College, and as a female physician of Indian origin I am delighted that an original portrait of Krishnabai is being unveiled and will be on permanent display within the College.

As a true pioneer in medicine, she remains an inspiring figure and her portrait will now rightly take its place amongst other luminaries of the medical profession associated with the College.

Great Hall of The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 

Riaz Samadhan, the artist, commented:

This portrait is a painterly tribute to the illustrious life of Dr Krishnabai Kelavkar. The experience of painting her took me back to the historic era in which she lived and practiced medicine. I am elated and deeply honoured that this painting is a part of the permanent collection of Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Today, installation of her portrait in this college is a cultural moment for her hometown Kolhapur, a land where education and art were fostered, where numerous polymaths were nurtured.

Riaz Samadhan is a visual artist based between Mumbai and Kolhapur, and is an alumni of  Sir J. J. School of Art.

Text and Image Courtesy:  The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and  Dr Shyam Kelavkar and Family.