Lal Ded (Lalleshwari), a woman saint of the 14th century, was a mystic poet of:

Lal Ded (also known as Lalleshwari, Lalla, or Lal Arifa) was a 14th-century woman mystic poet of Kashmir.

About Lal Ded:

• She was born around 1320 near Srinagar, in a Kashmiri Pandit (Brahmana) family.
• She was married at a young age, but suffered harsh treatment from her husband's family, especially her mother-in-law.
• She left her home and became a wandering ascetic, devoted to Shiva.
• She was a follower of Kashmir Shaivism, and became a disciple of a Shaiva teacher known as Sed Bayu.
• She lived a simple life, wandering from place to place and singing her verses.

Her poetry:

• She composed short mystical verses called "vakhs" (vaakh), in the Kashmiri language.
• She is regarded as one of the founders of Kashmiri literature; her vakhs are among the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language.
• Her verses express devotion to the formless Shiva, the search for the divine within oneself, and criticism of empty rituals and caste distinctions.
• Her vakhs are still widely recited in Kashmir, by both Hindus and Muslims.

Her influence:

• She is respected by both Hindus and Muslims.
• She is believed to have influenced the Sufi saint Sheikh Nuruddin Noorani (Nund Rishi), the founder of the Rishi order of Kashmir, who is said to have regarded her as a spiritual mother.
• She is a symbol of Kashmir's tradition of religious harmony ("Kashmiriyat").

Women saints of the Bhakti movement:

• Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Tamil Nadu): a woman Nayanar.
• Akka Mahadevi (Karnataka): a Virashaiva saint.
• Janabai and Muktabai (Maharashtra).
• Mirabai (Rajasthan): a devotee of Krishna.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bengal had other women saints.