eShe April 2019 by eShe

|1 PERSONAL GROWTH April 2019 Vol 3 Issue 3 `150

Simone Ahuja

Teaching the world’s top corporations how to master ‘jugaad’ innovation

ANIMAL INSTINCT Renowned dog trainer Shirin Merchant on the power of kindness APRIL 2019

CHILDREN FIRST Entrepreneurs, books and teachers making the world child-friendly (and fun!)

FASHION BLOOM Award-winning designer Anju Modi in a summery mood

2 | PERSONAL GROWTH

Conneccng the threads of fashion to those of clean design www.suibysuemue.com @suibysuemue Sui by Sue Mue

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contents

Peak of Resilience

Nature’s Own Beauty Secrets

A Period of Change

Optimising Jugaad

Yummy in My Tummy

Clearing the Clutter

A Dog’s Best Friend

The Last Law of Motion

By the Bosphorus

Summer Garden Ace designer Anju Modi on her newest collection Masakali

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Mountaineer Deeya Bajaj on scaling fear

Raman Puri’s natural beauty label Spaveda

Meet the founders of LAIQA sanitary pads

Cover personality Simone Bhan Ahuja

Kiddy snacks made with millets and love

3 ways to de-clutter in your life and mind

World-famous dog trainer Shirin Merchant

Creative dance therapist Neera Suri

A Turkish trail of romance and fine food

4 | EDITOR’S NOTE

LIVING IT UP

very month as this magazine comes together, I am left in a state of wonderment at how amazing women are. In just this issue, we feature a dozen of them who have defied odds, braved challenges and charted whole new paths. There’s young Deeya Bajaj who has scaled Mt Everest and is on a quest to cover the tallest summits on all continents (p.06). There’s cover personality Simone Ahuja, a former dental surgeon who took a career detour to study innovation and directed a TV series and wrote best-selling books that made Indian ‘jugaad’ world-famous (p.24). Entrepreneurs Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik discarded their high-flying jobs and donned the mantle of snack-food superheroes (p.30). World-acclaimed dog trainer Shirin Merchant defied norms in India and uses positive reinforcement instead of punishment to train canines (p.50). Smriti Gupta encourages adopting children with Aekta Kapoor special needs (p.40); Swatantra Kalra teaches you Editor and Publisher how to find joy in little things (p.48); Neera Suri aekta@coralcontent.com helps you dance into happiness (p.53); and venture capitalist and social entrepreneur Durga Das is playing cricket, golfing, and sailing around the world simply for the love of it (p.56). Women are amazing, I tell you. Editor and Publisher: Aekta Kapoor Business Director: Kaveri Jain Marketing and Research: Nyamat Bindra (nyamat@coralcontent.com) Brand Managers: Amrita Nagpal, Pallavi Pratap Malik Contributors: Kaveri Jain, Kay Newton, Maya Lalchandani, Neha Kirpal, Smriti Gupta, Sonali Sudarshan, Uttara J Malhotra

Mentor: Kul Bhushan All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. Published by Aekta Kapoor from Coral Content, C3/1 GF, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057, India. Phone: +91 9818166621. Printed at Modest Graphics (P) Ltd, Shop No.C-53, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi 110020. For queries, write to mail@coralcontent.com, or visit eShe.in APRIL 2019

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6 | ADVENTURE

PEAK OF RESILIENCE

Young mountaineer Deeya Bajaj has scaled some of the highest peaks in the world, including Everest, but the greatest barriers, she says, are those in our own minds By Maya Lalchandani APRIL 2019

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hat does 25-year-old Deeya Bajaj think of when she’s on top of the world’s highest mountains, knee-deep in snow, knowing she is courting danger by her very presence there? “I remind myself that this is what I trained for, I am meant to be here, I am stronger than this moment. I think of the family that has supported me and the fact that I was treated like an equal, and I push like I have never done before, and I win,” she says. And win, she did. Along with her father, the famed adventurer and Padma Shri awardee Ajeet Bajaj, Deeya peaked Mount Everest in May 2018, becoming the first father-daughter duo to ever accomplish the feat together. That wasn’t enough for her. The Gurgaon girl has been in the news since February 2019 for all her climbs to six of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on each continent). Initiated into adventure sports when she was just six years old, Deeya and her sister’s summer holidays were always a series of outdoor sports and treks. After all, they were the children of two intrepid parents, Ajeet and Shirly, who founded Snow Leopard Aventures in Rishikesh in 1990, which today is considered one of India’s top adventure-travel companies. When she was old enough, Deeya completed the adventure course APRIL 2019

at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi. Her first ‘real’ expedition was a 14-day long ski kayaking trip off the fjords of Greenland, living in extreme conditions in tents along with her father.

At 14, she saw the Greenland icecap for the first time, a huge expanse of ice considered the second largest in the world. Her father heard her say she’d like to return, so three years later, he took her back. This time, it was for a cause. Though Deeya’s own parents had

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L-R: Deeya learning to climb as a child; climbing the north wall of Mt Everest in May 2018

never let her feel lesser than any boy, the tomboyish teen managed to develop a keen understanding of gender bias in Indian society early on. She often visited a children’s boarding school on one of her family-owned adventure campsites in Haridwar, which looked after underprivileged children. The 17-year-old Deeya was struck by the fact that only boys were given place in the school. She decided to raise money for girl students with the help of her own school. Her cause took her to Greenland again. In sub zero temperatures (minus 400 C) and wind speeds of 40 km/hr, Deeya skied eight to 10 hours every day across the icecap over 21 days, making her the youngest person in the world to ski across the Greenland icecap at 17. She got people to pledge money for every

kilometre that she skied, raising `10 lakh for 550 km. The money went to funding 12 girls at the Haridwar boarding school, where her mother Shirly is a director. Now, seven years later, they fund 35 girls. “Since adventure sports are always only offered to boys in India, I feel lucky that I was always encouraged to take this up,” says Deeya, adding, “Women can climb higher than Mt Everest if only we put our minds to it.” Her father Ajeet avers, “To make the country a better place, we must leverage the strengths and values of women and girls as well.” t age 18, Deeya’s school-leaving present was climbing Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, before she headed to do her graduation from Cornell University.While in the US, she taught kayaking and cross-country skiing, and worked

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part-time taking students on treks. She was in her senior year in college when she started planning for a trip to Mt Everest. “Training was so much fun,” she reminisces. “We hit the gym with a vengeance, we ran, we swam, and stayed in peak form.” The father-daughter duo went on four practice trips, two to Ladakh, and one each to Nepal and France. Their journey started from Tibet on April 10, 2018, and they planted the tricolor on May 16. Deeya actually made it to the summit 15 minutes ahead of her father, as Ajeet’s oxygen mask had malfunctioned. Deeya was climbing ahead and the weather conditions were too bad for her to wait, so she ploughed on. “It was a difficult call, but one that I had to make,” she explains. She reached the peak at 4.30 am plunged in darkness, but as morning broke, she saw the sunrise along with her father. It was a moment frozen in time as they broke down, emotionally spent. “There was a lot of relief. We had both done it again. But then we were reminded of the treacherous way down, and scary thoughts clouded the happy high,” she narrates. There have been a whole bunch of climbs post Everest. “Going out there into the wilderness is what grounds me. Mother Nature takes care,” affirms Deeya, who has led an expedition for seven students to Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; climbed APRIL 2019

Vinson Massif in Antarctica; and has just got back from successfully summiting Aconcagua in Argentina. She’s headed to Mt Denali in North America in May. No matter how experienced one is, Deeya shares, there will always

From top: Sea kayaking in Greenland when she was 14 years old; with her father in the French Alps

be a moment on the way to a summit when one asks oneself, “Why am I here?” It is those moments – when one summits one’s own inner mountains – that are the most challenging and the most rewarding. 

10 | FASHION

SUMMER GARDEN

Ace designer Anju Modi offers us a fresh look and a step back from our hyper-connected world in her new spring-summer collection ‘Masakali’

he grande dame of Indian fashion, Anju Modi is in a light summery mood these days. In the last week of March, as buds began heralding

the onset of spring, she launched her spring-summer 2019 collection ‘Masakali’ at her standalone store in Hyderabad, and then at an all-day pop-up in association with APRIL 2019

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12 | FASHION “Masakali, which means sprouting of a new delicate bud, is the inspiration behind this collection. The ‘Anju Modi’ muse is a dreamer who is free-spirited, easy going and full-of-life. She is delicate yet strong, someone who likes to slow down and take a moment to enjoy herself and explore,” says Anju Modi.

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Karan Johar’s jewellery label Tyaani a few days later in Mumbai. Smiling graciously as Bollywood celebrities walked in and out running their fingers over her delicate, delectable range, she was her quintessential equanimous self, the way those in the industry have seen her for the past 29 years. Of course, when one conjures up images of Anju’s most famous work, designing the costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, and Bajirao Mastani, for both of which she won awards, it is easy to forget that – behind the Bollywood dazzle and cinematic flamboyance – she is also the designer who has painstakingly worked on reinventing age-old artisanal crafts of India. In the 1990s, she developed a new blended fabric using real zari in Varanasi, moving on to improving variations in Bandhani tie-and-dye techniques. Then came innovations in Kota doria fabrics, Sanganeri block-printing techniques, and Bagru textile crafts from Rajasthan.We owe her for modernizing the Chanderi weave and cultivating a new range of rich khadi. And even though the common APRIL 2019

woman may not know of Anju’s contributions, the world has taken notice. With a spate of awards and recognition from bodies such as UNIDO, Indian Council for UN Relations, and India’s Ministry of Tourism, Anju has taken Indian fashion to the world. A thinker and philosopher, Anju is known for bringing in elements of architecture, poetry, mythology,

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heritage and literature in her work. But she is down-to-earth about the fact that her oeuvre extends from the intricate costumes of period films to lightweight pret for modern women. “Working on films such as Bajirao Mastani and Ram-Leela was a breathtaking experience and had a different aspect of its own,” Anju reminisces. “Working so closely with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and un-

derstanding his vision made me create those grand garments. I brought in a lot of new concepts of detailing and layering through film, and I am fortunate it is still being loved by people. A lot of my couture is still inspired by those silhouettes.” Having said that, Anju says she loves letting loose and wearing comfortable clothing as well. “So, that’s what my pret line is about. I have tried to build stories and concepts with my pret collections for the inspired, self-made woman,” she says. Carefully crafted with luxuriant fabrics like Benarasi chanderi and khadi, and dotted with her signature floral motifs, the collection palette goes from pretty pastels to a muted mustard and charcoal. Versatility is key, and so each ensemble is made for a timeless wardrobe with jackets in asymmetrical cuts, light overlays and sweeping dupattas that can be draped in myriad ways. Passionate about creating stories with her clothes, Anju says she is unhindered by the constrictions of time and “simply sketches whenever an idea comes in!” Like a blooming summer garden, a maestro’s creative universe is bountiful indeed.  APRIL 2019

FASHION | 15 The silhouettes in the new collection include easy, elegant kurtas and tunics paired with flowing skirts and relaxed palazzos.

16 | FASHION NEWS

AAFTAB BY DEVNAAGRI Aaftab, the SS19 collection by Devnaagri, proposes lightness and fluidity this season, while celebrating individuality and discerning taste. A label launched by sisters Kavita Jain and Priyanka Jain, the summer prêt collection uses fabrics like chanderi, kota and muls, and is detailed with block prints, digital prints, and dori embroidery. The silhouettes are easy and comfortable and the colour palette soft and fresh. Shop on: devnaagri.com

STYLE UPDATE Check out the latest designer spring-summer collections on sale now COURTS BY VEDIKA M Here’s a very different perspective on sport! Vedika M’s SS19 collection ‘Courts’ is inspired by the shapes and patterns hidden on athletic courts. The colour palette uses vibrant hues similar to the strong and distinct colours visible on these courts, and the outfits display an interesting array of flowy, feminine silhouettes. With outlets in Kolkata and Mumbai, the label creates the prints at their own in-house textile unit using natural dyes and vegetable colours with hand-brush painting and block printing techniques. Shop on: vedikam.com APRIL 2019

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ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla presented a fashion show to celebrate 50 years of The Cancer Patients Aid Association in Mumbai last month, their third such event with them. The duo paid tribute to India’s heritage textiles and embroidery legacy at their presentation. Titled ‘Interitance’, it featured Bandhini tie-and-dye, Banarasi tissues, jamdanis, khadi, Assam weaves and Kanjeevaram silks. It also showcased a multitude of techniques from chikankari and zardozi to gota and resham. Celebrities who walked the ramp included Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Karan Johar and Shweta Bachchan Nanda (in photo).

RECONNECT BY CORD Cord’s SS19 collection Reconnect is a reflection of vintage keeping today’s sensibilities in mind. It explores the textures in textiles, while maintaining the natural fluidity of the garment. There’s a detailed expression of traditional craftsmanship techniques through delicate hand embroidery, smocking and block prints while focusing on versatility and comfort through relaxed silhouettes. Shop on: cordstudio.in APRIL 2019

18 | BEAUTY BUSINESS

Nature’s Own Beauty Secrets

Former nutritionist Raman Puri has put her knowledge of healthy ingredients into the making of her truly effective beauty range Spaveda

hen Raman Puri was in her 20s working as a dietician in Chandigarh, she had chronic acne that left her face painful and bleeding. Life was miserable for the young woman and she approached various dermatologists for a cure.

“They’d apply acid peels and give me all sorts of medicines but no one told me it would leave my skin so sensitive that I couldn’t go out in the sun,” says the 41-year-old. After marriage, Raman moved to Delhi, and – because her husband’s family ran a 20-year-old APRIL 2019

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beauty products factory that manufactured cosmetics for other brands using plant-based ingredients – she got a clear, insider’s view into how the beauty industry functioned, and what compounds were beneficial for which skin ailment. She began experimenting with natural ingredients on her own skin, and was delighted with the change. “My skin became stronger, and I can go out in the sun now with no problem,” says Raman, whose personal experiments laid

she used her own passion for wellness and the service industry, and they launched a holistic beauty brand based on traditional Indian skincare rituals two years ago. Spaveda products include serums created with the purest botanical extracts that deliver the most efficacious ingredients deep into every layer of the skin. They also have essential oils, potent cold-pressed oils, botanical extracts, soaps, face cleansers, earth’s clay, and body butters for pregnant women. All

the foundation of her nature-based beauty label, Spaveda. Born in Mumbai to an Army family, Raman completed her Master’s in food and nutrition in Chandigarh. She worked as a diet consultant for five years before giving it all up for marriage and raising two children in Delhi. Once the kids grew up, her interest in holistic lifestyle sparked off once again. This time, with her husband’s support and knowledge of cosmetics,

their skin and hair products are free from parabens, sulfates, harmful colorants, preservatives and artificial fragrances. But the proof, as they say, lies in the pudding. Raman recalls meeting a fellow school mum at the bus stop one day, and noticing that the lady’s skin had developed wrinkles and pigmentation. Raman learnt that it was the side-effect of heavy medications after the lady developed stomach ulcers.

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Raman offered help with her own formulations. The lady began using those products, and when Raman saw her after the summer holidays, her skin was clear, glowing and mark-free once again. “That really opened the floodgates,” Raman laughs. Word got around in the kids’ school about Raman’s miraculous therapies, and even the school principal became a loyal customer. “The basis of my work is personalisation, as no two people have the same skin. It’s not easy to do this in a store,” she says, explaining why she prefers supplying her range to spas and at popups across India where someone she has trained is present. But that hasn’t curbed the popularity of her products, and her customers, even from as far as Russia and the Czech Republic, are now in talks with Raman to retail her

products independently. The range also retails online on spaveda.in. “The younger generation is exposed to a lot of pollution and toxins, so they crave for natural, holistic solutions,” says Raman, adding, “I am happy to help.” 

REVIEW: BETA CAROTENE SCAR CORRECTOR had acne along my left cheek, which Raman surmised may be due to holding my phone there (true). She suggested cleansing, hydrating and nourishing. For the first, she gave me her Kasturi Manjal Face Cleanser. For the second, I had to dampen my skin with face mist or water, before the third step: the application of Beta Carotene Scar Corrector. In a week, the pimples were gone, the skin is smooth. I consulted Raman about my under-eye dark circles too. Her solution: “Stop reading your phone in the dark.” I guess there are some things even nature’s best healers can’t cure. – AK

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A PERIOD OF CHANGE These entrepreneurs are redefining menstrual hygiene with their new eco-friendly range, Laiqa

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22 | MENSTRUAL HEALTH

hen Monica Bindra saw her teenage daughter experiencing constant rashes, allergies and discomfort every time she had her periods, she realised something needed to be done. A chemical engineer from BITS, Pilani, Monica already had 15 years of experience in market research behind her when she realised the need to

introduce a sanitary pad that was gentler on the skin. And she knew she had to be the change. There is no doubt that feminine hygiene often goes neglected and people tend to shy away from the very topic of menstruation. Even educated women are not comfortable in speaking about their period, their experience, the discomfort and the pain. The more Monica thought about it, the more she was convinced India needed

a skin-friendly brand of sanitary napkins and a healthier approach. As destiny would have it, she met brother-sister duo Nazish Mir and Ali Mir through a business associate. All three of them shared the same passion to help women in treating their bodies with better products and quality care. Together, they decided to create something that would not only be good for women but would be good for the earth as well. They wanted pads that were rash-free, allergy-free and would also protect women from UTIs and yeast infections. After months of market research and product analysis, their brand LAIQA was born on Valentine’s Day, 2019. LAIQA pads are free from chemicals like chlorine (dioxin is a toxic byproduct of chlorine and the bleaching process of pads, and can cause ovarian cancer). To design a pad that was “good for the earth”, they reduced the 70-80 percent plastic rate of regular pads to a mere 7 percent. They proudly call themselves an eco-friendly pad brand of India. They are packaged in disposal bags that are made entirely of paper and are 100 percent biodegradable. Sanitary-waste management is a neglected factor at present but it is necessary to dispose used sanitary pads in a proper way. “The brand vision for LAIQA is to be the best sustainable feminine APRIL 2019

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hygiene brand in the market, but first, always – a brand with a heart. We offer quality products and wish to garner a community of not only women but all people who recognise menstruation for both how normal and special it is,” says Monica, a Delhi-based mother of two. Having lost a friend to toxic-shock syndrome (TSS), Nazish felt it was an unavoidable need of the hour. “We want to encourage women to love and accept themselves as they are and offer them a safe space, a platform where they can ask questions freely and learn what is best for them,” she says. TSS is caused due to the regular use of non-organic tampons, ones that contain plastic – as any regular tampon/pad does. “Should we treat our most sensitive body part mindlessly, simply because we’ve been conditioned to accept their easy availability as our fate? LAIQA grew out of that intense need to not only do and provide better for women but also to educate them and let them know how plastic-laden products affect their bodies in various ways.” Another important aspect is giving back to society. With their running initiative BODO (‘Buy One, Donate One’) – where for every pack that is bought from LAIQA, a pad is donated to an NGO like Deepalaya, Dream Girl Foundation, Utthaan, and Wishes APRIL 2019

and Blessings, among others – lesser privileged girls and women from rural areas can also benefit. “A sustainable future is the only one to aspire for and LAIQA has proved to be the vessel through which we are able to create a successful model of sustainability,” adds Ali. The pads are available pan India as a home delivery service. They are also stocked up at various chemists

and retail stores in the NCR and on Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg, Paytm Mall, Smytten and Pharmeasy. The variants include pantyliners, day pads, night pads and a useful combo box containing both day and night pads. The napkins are feather-soft, super-absorbent and free of harmful chemicals. As the founders say, it’s time to move towards ‘a period of change’.  To place an order, call 9891310451 or visit mylaiqa.com

24 | COVER STORY

OPTIMISING

JUGAAD

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Author Simone Ahuja has revolutionised the idea of ‘jugaad’ and given it a swish new makeover – her research on frugal innovation and creative improvisation helps large organisations optimise output

By Aekta Kapoor

imone Bhan Ahuja’s sojourn into innovation began with a love of chaat – and a bout of typhoid. Several years ago, the Indian-origin, Minneapolis-based dental surgeon was leaving Delhi for the US and searching for her beloved bhelpuri. “The vendor that I usually visited wasn’t there so I went to another vendor. Big mistake – or was it?” she muses. She was sick even on the plane to the US, and ultimately learnt that she had typhoid. “It’s so rare where I live that it took 10 days for doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. During that time I became very ill and perhaps even hallucinogenic with spiking fevers at night and I thought I might not recover,” narrates the author and the founder of Blood Orange, a US-based marketing and strategy advisory boutique. When she finally got better, it was clear to Simone that she needed to leave dentistry and follow her heart: investigating innovation. A few years later, she co-authored the best-selling book Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth (2012) along with Jaideep Prabhu and APRIL 2019

Navi Radjou, and changed the way the world’s top corporate houses looked at innovation and growth. It was called “the most comprehensive book yet on the subject” of frugal innovation by The Economist. Last month, Simone released her second book Jugaad 3.0: Hacking the

Simone with Dominic Venturo, Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Bank, at the launch of her new book

Corporation to Make it Fast, Fluid and Frugal (Penguin Random House). Based on her own research, Simone’s company offers consultation and interactive frugal innovation labs to entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and corporations including PepsiCo, Best Buy, Procter & Gamble, the World Economic Forum, MIT and Harvard University.

26 | COVER STORY

Raised in the northwestern American state of Minnesota, Simone’s mother was a physician and Simone always had a desire to help others. “Dentistry was on my radar since in the US, dentists have more autonomy in terms of running their clinics, but are still squarely in healthcare,” she tells eShe. Simone

India: “My bhuaji (father’s sister), who along with her husband and daughters, gave me my love for India,” says Simone, adding that jugaad was a brand new phenomenon to her when she visited India initially. “I learned about it as I was studying innovation in India – particularly among grassroots entrepreneurs

L-R: Simone with her son; the cover of her new book Jugaad 3.0, which is titled Disrupt It Yourself in the US

practised full time in private practice for just a year before going part time and “pursuing interests that were closer to my heart and more enriching for my mind” such as improvisational and traditional theatre and filmmaking. Though Simone’s family was primarily based in the US, London and Canada, she had one strong remaining root of her family in

and how they solve problems even if they are severely resource constrained,” she recalls. “It was really the contrast in problem-solving approaches between my teams – one US-based and one India-based – that helped me understand what jugaad is – and why it’s so valuable.” While Simone found her US team very talented, she felt they were also generally more rigid and APRIL 2019

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Simone is consultant to the Centre for India & Global Business at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

linear in their problem-solving approach. Her India team that was on the ground with her conducting research, on the other hand, demonstrated firsthand how a flexible and resourceful mindset leads to more and often better solutions. Though the term ‘jugaad’ hasn’t always been used in a positive context in India, one could argue that Simone has somehow managed to give it a swish new makeover. “I relish debating the meaning and value of the word jugaad with those in India and elsewhere. It’s a polarising word – and one that I hope is APRIL 2019

eventually re-contextualised in the way that I mean it – like ‘hacking’,” she says. It was while directing the television series Indique: Big Ideas from Emerging India for PBS that the seeds of Jugaad Innovation were sown. “The on-the-ground, ethnographic research that I did in India led to that first book by way of a blog on the Harvard Business Review online. A US-based literary agent spotted the blog about jugaad and asked if my co-authors and I were interested in writing a book about the subject,” she narrates.

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Simone’s firstborn Niko (in this picture) is now four, and she had a baby girl Zara in February this year

Later, sharing those lessons with large corporations in the US helped her realise that ideas and a flexible mindset are valuable in a large organisation but only if you can execute them. “That’s what led me to write Jugaad 3.0.” In the book, she talks about the power of frugal improvisation and the low-resource/ high-value approach of jugaad in certain situations. Simone now lives in Minneapolis with her partner Hari, four-yearold son Niko and a baby daughter Zara, who was born just days before Jugaad 3.0 was launched (“Two births in two months!” exclaims Simone). Between her business and her babies, she certainly has her hands full: “Eventually, I’ll get back

to hobbies (and hopefully sleep),” she quips, adding that she enjoys reading, yoga, and travelling. On her nightstand are books ranging from Changing Your Mind by Michael Pollan, to Awakening Intuition by Dr Mona Lisa Schulz and the biography of Elon Musk, but Simone hastens to add, “I’ve read exactly none of these in the last four weeks!” For someone who can spot patterns in events and delve into deep research with a scientific temperament and a compassionate worldview, it is just a matter of time that Simone will be back with another eye-opening concept. After all, raising two small children as a working mother is itself a lesson in jugaad innovation!  APRIL 2019

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ACTIVE MINDS, HEALTHY BODIES

We’re putting children first this month with the latest in kids’ books, and a focus on women go-getters who’re creating healthy snack foods, teaching urban kids ancient shlokas, and encouraging the adoption of kids with special needs APRIL 2019

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YUMMY IN MY TUMMY

These two mothers and former corporate honchos have set out to make snack food that’s healthy for kids and easy-to-cook for mommies

hat can you expect when two high-flying ‘pukka corporate-type’ women professionals give up their jobs to launch a nutritious food label for children? Stiff competition to all those greasy, salty,

preservatives-laden snacks out there on grocery shelves, for sure. Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik, both mothers of little kids, knew they were in for the long haul when they launched Slurrp Farm, India’s first FMCG food laAPRIL 2019

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bel that ensures millets and all kinds of healthy stuff reach little children’s tummies. The idea that kids today have practically no options of healthy snacks for tiffin-time and after-school munchies triggered the two friends to research all available ingredients out there, and to take feedback from their target group – mothers like themselves – on what they wanted their kids to eat. And so began their journey into food, retail, health and nutrition together. Meghana and Shauravi first met in London, where Meghana worked at McKinsey heading its public health practice, and Shauravi worked as a banker at JP Morgan. Through her work, Meghana was aware of discomfiting statistics about child health and early childhood nutrition in India. As a mother of a little girl, she was also disturbed by the food choices available to kids. Snack foods in stores contained all kinds of chemicals and preservatives, and India’s indigenous millets that are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, were nowhere to be found. “It didn’t make sense,” says Meghana, 40, of the gap in the market they observed. The two friends decided on their new brand’s key values in terms of nutrition and added a USP to it all: “It has to be tasty.” They had the best customer focus group give them feedback: pre-schoolers, including their own. “They can be pretty brutal,” she jokes. APRIL 2019

THE MAGIC OF MILLETS

o what’s the big deal about Indian millets? Here you go! • Barnyard millet (sanwa / sama) contains the highest amount of iron among millets. It is also a rich source of protein. • Finger millet (ragi) has more calcium per gram than any other cereal and even milk! It’s also rich in fibre and phosphorous. • Foxtail millet (kaun / kangni) is a generous source of protein, and helps reduce insulin in Type II diabetes patients. • Kodo millet (kodon / kodra) is a rich source of Vitamin B, is diabetes-friendly, and helps with post-menopausal cardiac care. • Little millet (kutki / kangani) is big on protein and dietary fibre, and boosts natural antioxidants. • Pearl millet (bajra / kamboo) has high quantities of protein, magnesium and folic acid. •Sorghum (jowar) is excellent for improving haemoglobin, calcium and iron levels in the blood. 

32 KIDS FIRST

Meghana and Shauravi with their children

The result, Slurrp Farm, launched in 2015 with three varieties of cookies, was a snack that had everything a mother and her kid could want: nutritious, reasonably priced, cutely branded, easy to make, and yummy. The range quickly expanded to millet pancakes in two flavours, millet dosa batters in two flavours, three types of munchies, and two types of baby cereals. The founders have a ‘tiny tummies index’ they follow: “How many times a week does a kid eat our food? That’s how many grains go into his or her tummy,” smiles Meghana. Choosing between motherhood and career was not Meghana’s and Shauravi’s cup of tea: so they just took their entire families along with them. Slurrp Farm is not just

their own venture, they say, but one that has required ‘the entire village’ to pitch in – from logistical and financial support by their husbands, parents and in-laws, to motivational talks such as one by Meghana’s brother-in-law Aditya Ghosh, the CEO of Oyo, who told them, “ You woke up smarter today,” whenever they faced setbacks. “This is just year two of 10,” says Meghana of the company’s vision: to take Indian millets to the world, to redefine ready-to-eat snack foods, and to make Indian kids healthier. When potential investors ask them about their operations, they reply, “We run it like women – an honest company making honest products and making money.” When you do that, everyone wins.  APRIL 2019

34 KIDS FIRST

A FIND FOR MY MIND

Fun ways to learn about history and wildlife, breaking gender stereotypes, and making one’s dreams come true… Here are six remarkably fresh titles that your kids (and you!)) will love reading! By Neha Kirpal

AWESOME EGYPTIANS (HORRIBLE HISTORIES) Terry Deary & Peter Hepplewhite Illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic, `228)

n incredibly fun way to learn history, Horrible Histories (Egypt) introduces aspects of everyday life in ancient Egypt and the basics of Egyptian arithmetic. The book has facts, stories and trivia about the fascinating pharaohs, the pyramids and the mummies all packed into one interesting book. While most kids find history boring and tedious to study (“horrible dates to remember, horrible kings fighting horrible battles against horrible people”), this book actually makes it exciting and “tells the things that teachers daren’t” - as it is filled with gore and all the “nasty bits” such as which king had the worst blackheads, why some kings had to wear false beards and why the peasants revolted. The authors bring in quintessential British humour that’s entertaining for adults and kids alike. APRIL 2019

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FASCINATING FRIENDS IN THE WILD Hema Badhwar Mehra Illustrated by Karam Rai Mehra (WWF-India, `549)

WF-India’s first animal book in rhyme, this captivating book takes you on a safari into the world of strange and wonderful animals such as aardvarks, okapis, echidnas, blue-footed boobies and quolls. Filled with colourful illustrations and fun rhymes that keep kids enraptured, the book is a result of the author’s research for information on rare and endangered animals to share with her own grandchildren. Hema has authored several short stories for children, which appeared regularly in Target magazine from 1984 to 1992. THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS FOR CHILDREN Roopa Pai (Hachette, `399)

his book simplifies some of India’s oldest sacred texts and ancient secular wisdom – the seemingly intimidating Vedas and Upanishads – and explains them in a witty, conversational tone that kids and adults will both appreciate. It is a fun gist that unravels some of life’s mysteries and gives startling insights into some of life’s most complex questions, such as: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Where did the universe come from? Is there a God? Worth a read for all ages, we say. APRIL 2019

36 KIDS FIRST

THATHA AT SCHOOL Richa Jha & Gautam Benegal (Pickle Yolk Books, `350)

t is Grandparents Day at school, and everyone is excited except Oviyam, who is embarrassed at the thought of her schoolmates seeing her grandfather in a lungi. She tries to convince her Thatha to skip the function but he insists on attending. The only option left is to avoid him at the event, so that no one knows he is her grandpa. Will Oviyam rise above her insecurities and own up her lungi-wearing Thatha in front of everyone? Will she realise that external appearances don’t define a person? This book teaches kids to own their traditions and is the perfect read-aloud to quell a young mind’s insecurities. SERA LEARNS TO FLY Vinitha Ramchandani Illustrated by Nirzara Verulkar (Katha Books, `175)

era is a tiny ant different from the others – she has a dream. At the end of a hard day’s work, she climbs up to the top of the anthill and looks at the sky. She dreams of flying but everyone mocks her. What follows is simply miraculous. A simple story with a deep message, the book is a gentle lesson in hope, believing in one’s dreams and making them come true.The book is also available in Hindi. APRIL 2019

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TWICE UPON A TIME Payal Kapadia (Puffin Books, `199)

ll princess stories are the same…but not this one. It’s a story about two girls – one, a princess and the other, a tomboy – both of whom just want to be themselves. When Princess Keya quits and Nyla shows up to replace her, two worlds collide. Together the girls ruffle dresses and feathers, break vases and traditions, fight dragons and boredom, grow roses and revolutions. Leave it to the girls to rescue everyone and each other. Boisterous, over the top and wickedly funny, this is the perfect book for girls who have outgrown princesses. SHIVAJI MAHARAJ (JUNIOR LIVES) Sonia Mehta (Puffin Books, `150)

ifth in a series of illustrated books created for young readers to get to know our world heroes better, this is an engaging biography of one of India’s greatest kings, Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj who was well known for his valour, bravery and clever war strategies. The book offers insights into this fearless young ruler’s inspiring journey through interesting anecdotes and little known facts about his life. Other titles in the Junior Lives series include books on Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Rani Lakshmibai and Gautama Buddha. APRIL 2019

38 KIDS FIRST

OM AT HOME

After quitting her corporate job, Divyaa D took up a rather unconventional career path: teaching Vedic shlokas to children in India and abroad

usic classes. Dance classes. Yoga classes. Painting classes. Skating classes. But shloka classes? Divyaa D, a Bengaluru-based qualified economist who had dabbled in the corporate world, took up a somewhat unconventional career path five years ago: she decided to teach children Vedic shlokas that she had herself learnt as a kid from

her parents.What drove her to make the shift into an unchartered turf was missionary zeal. “The main aim was to keep Indian children abreast of their cultural heritage and roots. That’s how Gurukulam was born in October 2014, the first-of-its-kind shloka school,” she notes. Divyaa recalls that it was a humble beginning, a small step that preceded a giant leap. At the outset, she APRIL 2019

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started off with a few children in her apartment in Bengaluru, and soon found that many parents were keen on sending their children to attend her classes. Which is when she started to expand by offering lessons in apartments, pre-schools, dance schools, studios and so on. Over time, Divyaa – who speaks five languages – also coined a name for people like her: shlokapreneur. Gurukulam now caters to kids from age five to 16 across the globe online through Skype and WhatsApp. Her one-on-one online sessions are called ‘the Mother-Baby Duo class’ where, she states, “kids as little as two or three years old attend with mothers in tow. Mothers are instructed to repeat the whole exercise with the kids in their free time.” The idea is to help mothers and children bond better while also tapping something that is instinctive since children of that age learn better from their mothers. This year, Gurukulam, which now has 50 students, plans to cast its net wider and add more students; it also aims to offer services pro bono for visually challenged students. Divyaa’s personal favourite shloka is the Hare Krishna mahamantra. The 38-year-old believes that chanting shlokas is a deeply mediAPRIL 2019

tative exercise that helps boost concentration, and lowers tendency for violence and anger among children. In fact, several studies have proven that long-term chanting helps people live calmer lives, endure stress even in high-pressure jobs and trying circumstances, and live longer and healthier lives. Some suggest that chanting could help fight early-stage blood pressure and stress-related complications that have multiplied today. Divyaa, for her part, feels that living with a close-knit family helps her a lot in her career. Her father is a former banker and mother a homemaker. She occasionally visits her older sister, an architect, in the US. As a teacher, she is glad that she has landed in a profession that taps the roots of our civilisation to not only help young students preserve our traditional knowledge but also tackle the hazards of modern life. 

40 KIDS FIRST

WE DARE TO CARE

Adopting a special-needs child can come with its own complexities, but there is nothing nobler than opening your heart to someone who needs you s an adoption counsellor, I have the humble privilege of talking to a wide spectrum of adoptive families both before and after the adoption. Some ask me about the adoption process, some are curious about bonding, and others wonder how to reveal the adoption to their extended family. Personally what

warms my heart is when people discuss special-needs adoption or older-child adoption with me. Not too long ago, a couple who have biological sons talked to me about adopting a daughter with special needs. The line between personal and professional blurred as I counselled them and also shared stories of my own daughtersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; adoptions APRIL 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: SASIN TIPCHAI ON PIXABAY

By Smriti Gupta

*NAME CHANGED TO PROTECT PRIVACY

KIDS FIRST 41

(one with a special need). A few weeks after the counselling session, the couple went ahead and adopted a five-year old girl who was in the special-needs category due to an amputated leg. When this beautiful girl was a baby, the cruel inhumanity that millions of girls face in our country had caused her to lose one of her legs. After that, she was raised in a children’s shelter who took care of her and put her in the legal adoption pool. This is no small feat. Thousands of shelters across India do not put children in the legal adoption pool, thus denying them a chance to reach a family. But a good shelter and a determined couple chose a new life for this child. At five years of age, Harini* left the shelter and came home to loving parents, caring brothers, and a life full of opportunities. Harini and her new family had a lot to learn together. Harini discovered her brothers’ interests and they learnt how to share their lives with her. Harini started to learn how to walk with a prosthetic leg while her parents learnt how to keep her safe when the kids were running about. As with most adoptive families, the bonding happened quietly and consistently, until one day everyone realised how intertwined and amazingly close their lives had become. However, one thing continued to concern Harini’s mother. How would she tell Harini about her APRIL 2019

past? About losing her leg? So she started with stories. She started telling Harini about girls who had challenging lives which made them stronger and more compassionate. She told Harini about how a tough life can change with love and there is always hope. She also thought about how she would guide Harini through her teenage years to come. Harini’s leg makes her special because it gives her the chance to be different, to understand the good and the bad in the world, and hopefully one day to extend support to another child who may need her. For me, it gives me renewed faith in our country and people. Even if a few of us make the same choices that Harini’s adoptive parents have made, it would be the beginning of a new life for thousands of abandoned and orphaned children with special needs in India. 

Smriti Gupta is an adoption writer and a child rights campaigner.

42 | COLUMN

THE HERO IN US Flawed and fabulous, we’re all Captain Marvel By Sonali Sudarshan

just fell in love with Captain Marvel! Not because she packs a mean punch, or throws out photon blasts, or stops missiles while in binary mode. I fell in love with her because she is as fucked up and flawed as me. Because underneath that tough-asnails, driven exterior is a woman who is plagued by inner demons and nightmares. A woman who wakes up at night and can’t go back to sleep. A woman who constantly questions her place in the world. A woman who has learnt at a very

young age that the world is not her oyster, and every inch of space she gets is going to be hard-won and hard-fought-for. Every inch! Also, finally someone went out there and said it: emotions don’t kill you, don’t weaken you, they make you stronger. Love doesn’t reduce you, it makes you bigger. In the first wave of feminism that hit the shores of my country, we girls learnt it all a different way. We learnt the only way we could beat the men was by becoming men. We wanted to go higher, further, faster, and the only APRIL 2019

COLUMN | 43

way to do it was to wear the pants. I’ve worn the pants for a very long time. I’ve stoically gone to work while I was losing a brother, when all I wanted to do was stay home and cry. I calmly sat and did the logistics of paperwork to sell my parental home while I was screaming inside. I have negotiated a divorce contract when I should have asked my ex to give us another chance. I’ve worn armours while dealing with deep grief and depression. I have not shown vulnerability or emotion because I have also bought into the myth that emotion weakens you, that if you show vulnerability, the vultures come in. I want to apologise to all the girls whom I have mentored across a 20year career span and told never to cry in public. I have cried at work many times. In secret. From frustration. From anger. From loss. I want to tell them it’s okay to break down and fall, as long as they stand back up the next day. If I were to measure the most successful projects I have worked on, the ones that I still think of and smile, it’s the ones I was emotionally invested in. In college, my professor told me my best answers were when I worked from emotion rather than logic. My greatest source of strength has been the people I love, the people I can be loony with. My Achilles heel is my strongest part. APRIL 2019

Maybe it’s time to stop leaning in. Maybe it’s okay to have a hysterical moment at work, or at home. Maybe it’s okay to throw something in a fit of anger. Or burst into a fit of giggles because there was genuine humour in a situation. Maybe you can do all that, and still be taken seriously. Maybe, under those crusty layers of faux un-gendering we do to ourselves in public spaces, under that tough armour we don everyday to go and fight our everyday battles, we are just girls. Furious and flawed but always fabulous. Maybe we need to stop buying into being strong all the time. Being stoic. Being harsh to ourselves, our colleagues, our friends and our children. Maybe the world doesn’t need strong women, but kinder ones. Women who cry, who break things in frustration, who laugh unabashedly, and love unreservedly, who wear lipstick, and jump across puddles. Maybe we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously. Strong or weak, we have nothing to prove to anybody. Just zap the critics like Captain Marvel!  Sonali Sudarshan is a public-relations professional who also likes to dabble in writing as she has an opinion on everything. Write to her at sonali.s@ intelliquo.in

44 | PERSONAL GROWTH

CLEARING THE CLUTTER

We often forget that in order to bring the new into our lives, we have to let go of the old. Here are some new ideas for cleaning out all levels

By Kay Newton

omen often declutter at this time of year. We can’t help it; women are physically connected to the cycles of the earth, from the monthly pull of the moon and its annual seasons. When you declutter according to the natural rhythms of the world, you are said to be in flow and may see huge life changes. It’s not all the mountains of ‘materialistic stuff ’ that need sorting through. Decluttering comes in many different shapes and forms. Did you know you can also dust the

cobwebs in your mind, clear your energy using your voice as well as spruce your home in just 15 minutes? Here’s how you do it. JUDITH QUIN An actress, voice coach and sound healer, Judith Quin says that the most powerful thing about working around voice vibration is that it helps you clear the gunk, the rubbish, the emotional baggage sitting within you. “Your voice is energy. Energy affects our physical and mental-emotional state all the time. APRIL 2019

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It is both practical, physical, personal and powerful. By connecting to your voice, not only do you expand the physical and bring your voice much more into your body, but it also helps you extract and get used to hearing your voice, therefore becoming less self-conscious,” she says. According to Judith, sound healing can take many forms – gongs, Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls, chimes and so on – yet the voice is the only sound healing that comes from the inside out. “It is your own unique sound that only you can truly feel. It can be used whenever you need to and you don’t need any other equipment,” she says. When doing voice energy work it is important to know what you are creating the space for and what you are clearing out. “By connecting to your voice vibration, you also connect to the intention behind what you are doing, which in turn regulates your energy. Ask, ‘What is my intention?’ Whatever you bring up, you create. Be prepared to own it and let it go if necessary.” Breath is also an integral part of this work: breathe out through your mouth and in via your nose so that you can welcome in what you want to create, she advises. “If you are clearing out the dark stuff, the cobwebs, be aware that bringing up these things you may not like looking at (anger, depression, vulnerability, sexuality) can APRIL 2019

also make you feel angry or sad.” Judith knows this from personal experience. Just before Christmas, she ran a solstice sounding to recognise the shadow and the darkness and to release this from within. At home that evening, Judith started to get angry about things going on around the festive season. She narrates, “The next day I woke up depressed, I did not want

Judith Quin

to be involved in the usual traditions. Then that evening, something clicked and I remembered the sounding.With that awareness I was able to let it all go. All I needed to do was sound in the light. I brought it up, I created it, I own it and accept it and I can let it go.” Find more of Judith’s work on yourwholevoice.com.

46 | PERSONAL GROWTH

Carol Richardson (right) with a client

CAROL RICHARDSON “Procrastination and overwhelm go hand-in-hand with cleaning spaces and even though most of my clients know what to do (after all there is so much information out there on Google), it’s actually doing it that is the sticking point,” says Carol Richardson, the UK-based founder of Space Creator, a service that helps people declutter their spaces in holistic ways. “Rather than overwhelm, my concept is to finish the task in a quarter of an hour. Starting with the easier tasks such as a shelf or drawer, you can soon find confidence and create motivation momentum. Daily impetus creates daily habits and satisfaction. The feel-good factor is what we are looking for,” she says.

Carol also recommends setting a timer for 15 minutes to keep you on track, overcome procrastination and the interference of subconscious mind, which is often stubborn when it comes to change. “The timer will allow you to work faster and without realising it, you will have tackled your biggest task first. Don’t stop until the timer goes off and when it does, you can either do another task or leave your decluttering for the next time.” It is also an excellent way of involving other members of the family, particularly children. We both laughed when I said I had learned a similar skill when my children were small: we’d have 10-minute frantic tidying up as if I had just received a phone call telling me that the APRIL 2019

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‘mother-in-law or Queen of England’ was about to arrive on the doorstep. It is surprising what you can get done in such a short time. For more information on Carol’s work, visit spacecreator.co. KAY NEWTON Having just bought a new home in Spain, I have done nothing but declutter and clean for the past week. It has also been a good time to ditch some old mental baggage. Humans may take time out to clear the home, yet we often forget to spend time dusting the cobwebs and clearing out the rubbish in our minds. Yet, this is the key to an awesome life. Our thoughts create our reality: whether it’s through constantly repeating the same thing, or holding onto deeply held beliefs that no longer serve you. Our mind is rather like those boxes I have been unpacking – boxes stored in our minds. We have our favourite boxes, ones that we turn to day by day, hour by hour. Others we completely forget about. Some come back to us out of nowhere – great memories, grief, pain, hurt. The stories we create and put in these boxes become our truth, who we are right now. Whenever we meet a new experience, our minds race to find the box most appropriate to the circumstance. We open the box and believe everything stored there APRIL 2019

Kay Newton

and this can stop us in our tracks. Our minds only want the best for us, they don’t want us to come to harm. New experiences are often fraught with the unforeseen and this ‘has to be dangerous because it’s not in the box’. The next thing you know, you are paralysed, unable to move forwards, feeling stuck or out of balance. By clearing out the boxes in your mind and decluttering thoughts and beliefs that no longer serve you, you create space to move forward into the next stage of your life, no matter what that may be. Repeat this exercise at least twice a year or before you reach a large crossroads in your life and the roadblocks will not be there. Find me at KayNewton.com.

48 | HEALING

THE JOY OF SMALL THINGS

Finding joy in little things is the medicine to all ailments: that is the mantra with which Swatantra Chhabra Kalra heals people

By Uttara J Malhotra

t’s an uncommon story: a food technologist trains herself to be a life coach and finds simple ways to bring back joy and health to people’s lives. But perhaps it’s not so unlikely, for having worked for years in a multinational food and beverages major in its research and development team, Swatantra Chhabra Kalra really

understood food and its dynamics with the human body. The former corporate honcho – who has worked with PepsiCo, Amway and Dumex in a long, illustrious career – really knows the stuff of packaged food. An expert in developing snack foods, dietary supplements and extruded infant foods, she independently deAPRIL 2019

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veloped the Nutralite Chocolate drink and was also instrumental in developing roasted snacks from rice for Daawat. Like any other girl with stars in her eyes, Swatantra happily married in 2001. But things weren’t as rosy as she expected and her arranged marriage hit troubled waters making her realise that “life has to be much more about discovering your potential than only getting lost in marriage and the nuances of it.”

treat. “Srishti is so close to nature that it feels like it has sprouted and grown from the place it is set in,” says Swatantra, whose healing principle is simple: to use the healing power within your body and detoxify with dietary alterations. Swatantra – whose name translates to ‘independent’ – healed her own asthmatic condition with a positive state of mind, changes in dietary patterns and positive affirmations. “If you tell yourself you love your-

L-R: Srishti Wellness Retreat packages are priced between `7000 to 10000 for a couple; Swatantra Kalra

Instead, she put her food experience to good use by launching her own brand Truly Natural in 2007, made using natural Indian ingredients. The startup reported skyrocketing sales for the two years she ran it, until she sold the technology and decided to help people self-heal through the correct use of natural ingredients. When in 2014, she moved to Chennai from Gurgaon, she launched the Srishti Wellness ReAPRIL 2019

self, you will actually start seeing and then eliminating things that prevent you from doing exactly that. This is a process of self-healing,” she says. Till date, Swatantra has trained hundreds of people on how to self-heal via proper dietary and thought-pattern changes, and is soon coming out with a book on the subject. Her name aptly defines the nature of freedom she has nurtured throughout. 

50 | ANIMAL ACTIVISM

A DOGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST FRIEND

World-renowned dog behaviourist Shirin Merchant is teaching Indians how to be more humane with dogs, and proving that there is nothing more powerful than kindness APRIL 2019

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s far as Shirin Merchant is haviourist and trainer John Rogerconcerned, dogs can never son. Four years later, she was back go wrong. It’s the humans in India to change the way India that are a problem. To be trained its dogs. specific, urban ones. “Agrarian so“Older methods of dog training cieties coexist beautifully with an- were designed to evoke pain and imals. A dog will follow a farmer fear, such as by using choke chains for miles without a leash, protect or sticks,” she explains. If a dog was his herd and home, and require no aggressive, it was deemed rabid and special food or space in return,” says put to sleep. “But canine behaviour Shirin, India’s first qualified canine problems have to be tackled using behaviourist and one of the world’s canine psychology, not intimidatop dog trainers. tion. Instead of hitting or punish“In the cities, we ing dogs, we can use have lost this,” she “CANINE BEHAVIOUR positive reinforcegoes on. “There are ment instead.” PROBLEMS HAVE TO more dog haters In 1998, Shirin, a than dog lovers, and BE TACKLED USING mother of two, startdog-owners are part- CANINE PSYCHOLOGY, ed her consultancy ly to blame themCanines Can Care. NOT INTIMIDATION” One of the pivotal selves. They get the wrong breeds simply points in her journey for prestige value, or was when she decidleave them to domestic helpers to ed to train assistance dogs to help bring up, or mistreat them or ne- physically challenged people perglect them. Bringing up a dog re- form tasks like retrieving objects, quires as much care and commit- opening heavy doors, switching ment as bringing up a child.” lights on and off, pulling or pushing Over 23 years in this field, Shirin wheelchairs, getting help in case of has trained over 6000 canines of all an emergency and so on. Her first breeds imaginable. “We always had client was a paraplegic girl, Sanam a dog at home while I was growing Karunakar, for whom Shirin trained up in Mumbai; he was like a sib- a Labrador, creating history in the ling to me,” she narrates of her early process. Canines Can Care also attachments for the furry creatures. trained dogs for search-and-rescue After completing her Bachelor’s in work to help with post-earthquake zoology from St Xavier’s college, efforts in Bhuj in 2001. she was invited to study in England Shirin not only helps dog-ownby world renowned canine be- ers with behaviour and training APRIL 2019

52 | ANIMAL ACTIVISM

problems, she also conducts training courses across the world. Along the way, she pioneered the concept of ‘Canines For Corporates’ – offsite dog-training camps where office-goers learn about trust-building, leadership, empathy, and so on. In 2013, Shirin became the first person in Asia (and one of only nine people in the world) to gain accreditation in Companion Dog Training and Behavioural Training from the KCAI Kennel Club of England. She was also awarded

KCAI’s International Commendation award for Trainer of The Year, and is the only person till date in the world to have ever received this. Last year, she won the Government of India’s ‘First Ladies Award’ for women who have transcended barriers to achieve a milestone. Shirin brushes off the accolades with modesty. “When you love your work, you don’t measure it with milestones. The work is its own reward,” she says. We’re sure the doggies agree.  APRIL 2019

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THE LAST LAW OF

MOTION

Creative dance therapist Neera Suri uses your body’s own innate rhythm and motion to help you rid yourself of stifling energies and blocks

ithin moments of your meeting with Neera Suri, she observes you verbalise an unconscious emotional block about your career. “Who does this thought belong to?” she asks you, leaving you somewhat tongue-tied. “Me?” you stammer. She repeats the question, until you realise the idea was recently triggered by a conversation with a well-meaning friend, and before that belonged to your father. “Uncreate and destroy that thought, and send it back with consciousness attached to where it originated from,” she advises, and you conjure up an image of actor Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall from Harry Potter swishing her wand about, sending your negative belief back out of your brain and away. Such is Neera’s personal aura: magical, motherly, wise.And though she’s only 65 (and insists she feels like 16), one can’t shake off the feeling that she’s many centuries old, APRIL 2019

holding the gift of the gods in her wizened, manicured hands. When it comes to qualifications, the Mumbai-born, Delhi-based Neera has a BA in mathematics, B.Ed, and a Master’s in psychology. She has certificates in creative

54 | SPIRITUALITY

Neera (at the back in glasses) at a ‘Heal Your Life’ affirmations workshop at her south Delhi studio

movement therapy, Reiki healing, hypnotherapy, Access Consciousness, and is a licensed Heal Your Life practitioner. She has studied Kathak since she was five, and has been a school teacher for several years. She went the entire gamut of grihasti (‘householder stage’) that women often go through, from moving cities for marriage, to having three kids, adjusting to the wishes of inlaws, suppressing her own ambitions for the sake of family peace, raising healthy children, supporting her husband in his career, becoming a grandmother, and caring for her parents in their old age. But who was Neera, really? And why was she here?

The question had been gently nudging her on her spiritual journey, until one day, it hit her in the face. One of her brothers, who was unwell and lived in her care, asked her,“How come I have this disorder and you don’t?” An ordinary question to others, perhaps, but a startling course corrector for Neera. hat’s when Neera went deep into the study of psycho-pathology and the complexities of the mind-body connection. That’s when she questioned her beliefs and the purpose of life. That’s when she opened up her mind and heart to life’s strange ways and infinite potentials, challenged herself, and became a healer.

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At Neera’s movement-therapy sessions, participants express themselves through free-flowing dance

“In my mind, I used to refer to my brother as ‘bechara’ (poor thing). I always thought he was lesser than me. When this awareness came to me, I realised no one is bigger or smaller. We choose our lives and our journeys. He chose his, and he is where he is supposed to be. I stopped pitying him, and everything in my internal world changed. I owe him that,” she says. “There are things that exist that we can’t see,” she goes on, sharing the mysterious way in which her brother passed on, and the circumstances of her father’s and her other brother’s death. “Everything that comes to me, I take it as a gift,” she explains, as if life’s tribulations – like APRIL 2019

its joys – come to us wrapped with a bow. We unfold them to discover a wealth of wisdom inside. Neera’s 93-year-old mother still lives with her in Delhi. Though she had a close shave with a UTI infection last year and lost some of her mobility, she hasn’t lost any of her zest for life and joie de vivre. “Are you okay going to the temple in that wheelchair, mom?” Neera asked her the other day. “Do you have any problem?” the nonagenarian replied, heading off to sing her bhajans (devotional songs) on full throttle. The woman Neera may have got her joviality from her mom, but the wizard Neera’s magic is all hers. 

56 | CAREER

The Many Avatars of Durga

She's a champion cricketer, golfer, sailor, and has also funded several tech startups across the world. Meet the indefatigable Durga Das!

ast month, Durga Das’s sustainable technology company Teerthaa was in the news for tying up with IIT Madras to develop a device that can generate potable water from atmospheric air. Durga was introduced as the captain of the USA Women’s team in 2010 that won the ICC Americas Cup, an avid golfer, sailor and an angel investor who has developed and sold over half a dozen tech startups. What few people know, though, is that Durga’s business acumen was a product of necessity: the hard knocks of fate did not deter her, but rather pushed her to the limits of achievement. Durga was 11 when her father, an acclaimed advertising honcho, had a debilitating accident. Unable to work, his flourishing company fell apart, and his wife and four kids soon found themselves in precarious circumstances. At 14, Durga took matters into her own hands. A

budding cricketer in Chennai, she began selling sports goods. With a little help from her coach and her father’s old acquaintances, she set up a shop and ran her business after school. She also dabbled in ice cream and packets of tea leaves. By the time she was 17, she set up her own advertising agency – all the while going to school, playing cricket and golf, and training by cycling 100 km per day and running. APRIL 2019

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When Durga was 20, her father died of a brain hemorrhage. Two months later she herself was diagnosed with a tumour in the brain. Doctor said it was benign but it could lead to blindness or hemorrhage. At the same time, her friend embezzled her business and ran away. “I was shell-shocked,” says Durga, who is now 50. Disillusioned with life, she shut shop and set off to wander the world.

time the company was acquired by NASDAQ, she was director of their US and Europe business. And so started her journey of launching phenomenally successful technology startups across the US. She began doing meditation, and went back to her sports. Eight years later, her tumour had disappeared. In 2012, Durga returned to India and launched Das Star to fund startups here. Happily single, she

L-R: Durga on the cricket field; on her Harley Fat Bob; her startup Wassup empowers dhobis who need help

She landed up in the US, where she worked as a housemaid, a forklift operator and waitress. “I slept on park benches. Not thinking, just being,” she narrates. A year later, she found herself, and returned to India. She took the first job she got – earning Rs 5000 a month in a tech company. She quickly grew, and took her department along, doubling their revenues. By the APRIL 2019

rides her Harley Fat Bob and goes on long rides to clear her mind on weekends. She continues playing cricket, and participated in the recent Paul Harris Cricket Carnival in Chennai. “There were 239 men and me,” she quips. She’s now training to participate in the J/80 World Sailing Championship 2019 in Spain this July. The goddess has many avatars. 

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BY THE BOSPHORUS A journey of gazing, romancing and eating through Istanbul By Kaveri Jain

urkey had been on my bucket list for a long time, so when the opportunity of a family trip came along, I just jumped at it. Driving from Istanbulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ataturk airport to our hotel, I was reminded of my own city New Delhi with its sea of people and

crazy traffic, and immediately felt comfortable and welcome. We were booked at the ShangriLa Bosphorus hotel, which is literally on the Bosphorus (or Bosporus) and where the view from the room is surreal. With one part in Europe and the other in Asia, the only thing

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that divides the city of Istanbul into two continents is the breathtaking Bosphorus. After a hot cup of Turkish coffee, which was prepared in a cezve, a small pot with a long handle made of copper, we left the hotel and took our first walk towards the Bosphorus. The constant chat-

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ter, tea sellers and small food stalls selling everything from Turkish delights to sandwiches and chips gave it all a festive feeling. We decided to take a ride across the waters. Sitting on the ferry and watching the sky change colours from a blue hue to an orange and

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finally a deep red, I felt like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just fallen in love. Our first stop the next morning was Dolmabahce Palace, a walk of 10 minutes from our hotel. This palace was home to six sultans, and the founder of the republic himself: Ataturk. A short cab ride away is Taksim Square, the centrepoint of modern Istanbul and a common meeting point for locals, overloaded with countless restaurants, shops and hotels. The very first stall that caught my attention was ice cream. The juggling show before we could finally get hold of the dondurma (thick Turkish ice cream) was quite comical! Tucked away on a side street, we walked into Zencefil, famous for its vegetarian fare. We had homemade lemonade, carrot soup, stuffed dried

eggplants, smoked bulgur with vegetables, spinach pie and their pumpkin cheese cake. We were so stuffed that a stroll around Taksim was imperative. The colourful graffiti and street musicians playing lovely melodies made our evening just perfect. After a tiring day, all one dreams of is a hot bath and Turkey is famous for its Hammams, after all. But for me, it was a strange experience. Sitting naked with two other women made me uncomfortable, and it was very bizarre to lie on a marble slab and allow a total stranger to scrub and soap my body. Before you can decide whether you hate or love this traditional Turkish bath, you should experience it at least once. Our next morning began at Hagia Sophia. This splendid churchturned-mosque-turned-museum is APRIL 2019

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Facing page: The Suleymaniye Mosque is a complex of buildings including a hospital, a kitchen, a school and more. This page, left: A shop in the 500-year-old Grand Bazaar; above: vegetarian fare at Zencefil restaurant near Taksim Square

among the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Climbing up the spiral ramp to get to the gallery and gaze at the splendid Byzantine mosaics, taken into a forgotten era, I was mesmerized. The next stop was the Süleymaniye Mosque. This was designed by the famous architect Sinan for Süleyman the Magnificent, and is a tribute to both. We stopped for bite at a quaint coffee shop in the Alley of Addicts – it got its name during the Ottoman empire, because the coffee shops here sold opium and hashish besides coffee. Did I have some? I’ll leave you guessing! Finally we reached the Grand Bazaar: who wouldn’t want to shop in this never-ending 500-year-old market? Also called Kapali Carsi or Buyuk Carsi, this market has over APRIL 2019

4,000 stores, restaurants, cafes spread over 61 covered streets, and is worth a visit. To savour the flavours of authentic Ottoman Empire cuisine, we had dinner at the very famous Asitane restaurant. The menu was painstakingly created, with details of each dish showing the date when first records exist from the recipe. The Blue Mosque is an imperative stop for tourists; the blue tiles all over the walls are a marvel in themselves. The Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, and also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice. Topkapi Palace is another must-visit attraction. The palace complex consists of kiosks and pavilions contained within four lush courtyards where generations of sultans had their principal residence

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for almost half a century. The harem, an adorned ‘cage’ of the sultan’s women, the treasury storing the crown jewels and the weapon’s room boasting the Ottoman’s fine craftsmanship take you back in time. And the final walk towards the edge of the Palace that leads to breathtaking views of the Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus and Golden Horn com-

pletes this magical visit. If you think Istanbul is fascinating above ground, the underground Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan) will make you think again. Very close to the Topkapi Palace, the underground network of ducts mesmerized us with its dimmed light and classical music playing in the background: an unexpectedly romantic experiAPRIL 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: PIXABAY

This page, clockwise from top: The 360 roof-terrace hotel is perched on top of a building in Beyoglu; the Basilica Cistern was used centuries ago to bring drinking water with aqueducts from current Bulgaria to Istanbul; a meal at Asitana restaurant. Facing page: Whirling Dervishes at Hodjapasha, a former hammam

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ence for me! For the best views in Istanbul, we went for a meal to the 360 roof-terrace restaurant, perched on a 19th century apartment building in Beyoglu. True to its name, it has a 360-degree view of all of Istanbul. The food was a combination of fusion Turkish mezze and modern international cuisine. We also spent some time at the Galata Bridge, where the locals gather to fish right off the bridge. Walking around the pedestrian avenue Istiklal Caddis, we spent the afternoon eating an array of mouthwatering desserts: baklava, pistachio cake, tahini ice cream, asure, and the special kunefe, which is a sweet and APRIL 2019

savoury Levantine cheese pastry. After picking up a few souvenirs from shops around the Galata Tower, we left for the most awaited Dervish Experience at Hodjapasha. The Hodjapasha is a former hammam dating back to the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, which was renovated to become one of Istanbul’s most interesting cultural centres. Sitting under the dome of the main bath and watching the dervishes whirl in such a setting made the experience even more special. I would have loved to spend more time exploring the outer reaches of the city, especially the Asian side, but one thing’s for sure: this city will call me again. 

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There’s no such thing as a failed marriage By Aekta Kapoor

PHOTO CREDIT: KAI KALHH FROM PIXABAY

y column last month against the institution of marriage sparked off a massive and unexpected debate online – and in various WhatsApp groups, classrooms and kitty parties – and earned me both bouquets and brickbats. One critic’s comment – forwarded to me by an old friend – stayed with me longer than others: “Just because she has two failed marriages, she views the institution with heavily coloured goggles,” the lady said about me. Okay, hold on just a minute. What’s a failed marriage? What is the parameter of success for a marriage? Is being married till the day you die – even if you die every day in suffocation, misery and abuse – the definition of a ‘successful’ marriage? Come to think of it, what’s a ‘broken’ family? Is living with conflict and violence a better alternative? And what if there’s no alternative? Is that family broken just because it doesn’t fit into the 1970s’ family-

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planning slogan hum do hamare do? Such terms went out of fashion in the last century. Let us lay them to rest. My stance on marriage remains the same: It’s a punishment to keep a bad relationship going simply because you’re married, and a good relationship doesn’t need marriage to keep it going. Having said that – and considering that half of the adults in the world are married right at this moment – I venture to add: There’s no such thing as a failed marriage, unless you are wearing ‘heavily coloured goggles’. Both my marriages were successful. The past one made me seek a higher calling, and the current one has given me the courage to live my dreams. Somewhere along the way, I shed the goggles of social expectations, trying to live by someone else’s rules, judging others, and seeing life as a battle against antagonistic forces and myself as its hapless casualty. I shopped for another set of goggles.These showed me the best in people, the silver lining on a dark day, an expanse of opportunities and joys just waiting for me to grab them, and such a tremendous amount of love that one little heart cannot possibly contain it all. I’ve had to place an order for one as big ‘Cleansing my sins’ a la Osho as the sun. For now. How is that a failure? Let us not misuse the terms ‘happily married’, or a ‘normal family’. Happiness is a process with or without marriage, and no family or marriage is ‘normal’. Each one has its own quirks, unique traits, colours and flavours. Sometimes a mother and daughter living by themselves or a childless couple are a very complete family. Sometimes a pair of gay lovers disowned by their respective parents make for a perfect marriage. Sometimes a group of people totally unrelated to one another build a warm, loving nest to come home to each night, and it’s enough. ‘Normal’ is reductive. Diversity is the norm. Be unafraid of social tags. The only failure is not living life to your fullest potential, and breaking relationships is better than being broken yourself. Strive instead for the day when every cell of your body lights up with gratitude, for that’s when you’re ‘whole’. Come, wear my goggles. They’re lightly coloured with peace today. APRIL 2019

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