The world circus has been known to Indians since ancient times, but then those who showed the circus game was considered Bedouins. The first circus of Bengalis started in the hands of Navagopal Mitra. There were some gymnastics games with a horse and two members.

Rajendralal Singh, the son-in-law of Navagopal Mitra, started the Great Indian Circus in 1883 with the help of some foreign players. It was basically a game of foreign gymnasts.

Sushila Sundari was the first Indian woman who takes a place in a circus as a Female Ringmaster. She was known for her bravest acts with the tigers at the Great Bengal Circus.

Sushila Sundari was born in the year 1879 in Bengal. paltry folks knew about her family background and early life. Her younger sister Kumudini was also a performer at the Great Bengal Circus.

Sushila was one of the superstar performers of the Great Bengal Circus, owned and directed by Professor Bose (Priyanath Bose). She was an expert gymnast and trapeze artist. She could also ride a horse. At the opening of the show, she and her sister Kumudini arrived on the stage riding on a horse.

In November 1896, the Great Bengal Circus presents their acts at the durbar of Rewa. The prince of Rewa was so impressed with their performance, he gifted them a pair of Bengal tigers. The Tigers were held to bring luck to the team and therefore christened as Lakshmi and Narayan, after the Hindu deities. Sushila learned how to master the tigers. In the year 1901, the Great Bengal Circus would feat Sushila Sundari in daring acts with the two tigers. She would enter their cage with ease and make them growl, make them stand up and sit down. She would arm wrestle with them and shows their open jaws to the audience. thereafter, she would recline on them and pose for photographs.

However, there was no doubt that the number and popularity of this powerful Sushila Sundari were at their peak. Sushila Sundari’s fame grew so much at that time that even the editor of ‘Englishman’ magazine, which always criticized Indians, was forced to write — ‘Hindu women are notorious for being timid’, but this Sushila Sundari did not take a single stick, fearlessly entered the tiger-hole. Amit shows such courage in the game that he is really shocked to see it in the midst of her fame, Sushila had to leave the circus due to an accident. When one of the tigers that Sushila used to play with died, she went to play with a new tiger, Fortune. This tiger has not yet become fully trained and fit ৷ It is heard that this tiger was kept half-fed that day due to lack of proper food When Sushila was reclining on the tiger after all the games, she was severely injured when the tiger suddenly hit her hard with her paw. Although Sushila’s life was saved with great difficulty, she could not return to the ring with her wounded body.

Sushila died in May 1924 and with that comes the most courageous, popular, unrivaled, legendary heroine of the Indian circus. Today, the girls of the circus have the opportunity to perform various games, but with the courage that Sushila Sundari showed 120-30 years ago, she is the only one who can be compared in the context of the era.