Uttara Mahila Patrika, a quarterly Hindi magazine dedicated to addressing women's issues, was launched in Nainital in October 1990, and has been consistently published ever since. Initiated by a group of women, the magazine is currently edited by Uma Bhatt, Sheela Rajbar, Kamala Pant, and Basanti Pathak. The primary objective of the magazine is to highlight the role of women in society.
Uttara features contributions from a wide variety of writers, including poems, stories, interviews, articles on contemporary issues, and reports. Over the years, the magazine has published interviews with notable women such as Vidyawati Doval, Radha Bhatt, Vimala Bahuguna, Prakashwati Pal, Kabutari Devi, Sudesha Devi, Sushila Bhandari, Shanti, and Bhuvaneshwari Kathait.
The readership of Uttara represents both rural and urban middle-class communities and includes a diverse group of individuals—students, teachers, homemakers, working women, social workers, and people from various organizations.
One of Uttara's key achievements has been creating a platform for women to express themselves through writing, bringing women's voices and concerns to the forefront. The magazine has been instrumental in sparking meaningful dialogue on women's issues within society.
In October 2003, Uttara published a poetry compilation titled Virasaton ke Saye se Nikalkar, featuring selected poems from the first 13 years (1990–2003) of the magazine’s publication. These poems reflect various aspects of women’s lives. Another collection, Ankit Hone do Unke Sapno ka Itihaas, includes selected poems from 2003 to 2015.
Over the years, Uttara has published several special issues on significant topics, including alcohol (1991), the Garhwal earthquake (1992), the Uttarakhand movement (1994), women in the freedom movement (1998), and more recent themes like Lok and Stree (2021). Throughout its 30-year journey, Uttara Mahila Patrika has built a large community of writers, readers, and supporters, whose active involvement has helped the magazine maintain its unique place and continue its impactful presence.
About the Collection: The back issues of Uttara Mahila Patrika, a Hindi quarterly magazine, have been donated by its editors, Uma Bhatt and Sheela Rajbar. The magazine, founded by a group of women, has been instrumental in highlighting the pivotal role women played in society. The magazine strengthened women's voices by providing a platform for discussing issues of gender equality, empowerment, and social justice. It featured a rich collection of interviews, poems, stories and articles on contemporary topics, contributed by individuals from diverse backgrounds. The collection includes issues of Uttara Mahila Patrika (with gaps) from October 1990 to September 2023, correspondence, cassettes, interview of social activist Vimla Bahuguna, photographs and books. The collection is valuable, making it an essential source for researchers studying the role of women in Uttarakhand and beyond.
Donor: Uma Bhatt, Sheela Rajbar, Kamala Pant, and Basanti Pathak
Acquisition: 2024