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"Maheswari Naik-'The Wanderess', is a Panaji-based Instagram influencer.
Maheswari Naik, popularly known as ‘The Wanderess’, is an Instagram influencer based in Panaji. She did her schooling at Dr. K. B. Hedgewar High School, Panaji and then completed her higher secondary education at Mushtifund Higher Secondary School in Panaji. Post this, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology from Goa Medical College and thereafter pursued a master’s degree in the same from Nitte University, Mangalore. She currently serves as a lecturer in Medical Imaging Technology at a reputed medical institute in Goa.
During her childhood days, Maheswari always had a strong desire to work in the medical field. She was also inclined towards the aviation industry and aspired to become a commercial pilot and soar in the sky.
While growing up, Maheswari cultivated an ardent interest in photography and travelling. Once, while going on a school trip, her mother gifted her a digital camera. It was a Canon PowerShot camera. She would carry that camera along with her wherever she went and would click evocative images of birds, animals, scenery and architecture and so on.
Maheshwari was bitten by a travel bug at a tender age and always wanted to explore different places. She took various road trips with her family to different parts of North India, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir. Her little camera banks a lot of beautiful pictures of the places she visited. She then started to post those pictures on Facebook and even got featured in newspapers when social media was not as popular as it is today.
One of Maheshwari’s friends suggested that she start posting the pictures she used to take on Instagram. So, Maheswari started a page on Instagram and started posting the pictures she used to take during her various travels across India. The page soon became very popular and gained a lot of recognition not just from users, but also from prominent photographers. She started posting pictures consistently on her Instagram feed and became known as 'The wanderess'.
Maheshwari has collaborated with @panjim.goa and @krisbphoto and even got featured on many pages online. Her Instagram page @the.wanderess_ was featured in Lokaso's list of the 15 most amazing
Maheshwari pursues photography as a hobby and enjoys it. While talking about the challenges of running her page, she says that the audience today prefers video or reel-based content over still photos which leads to a drop in the reach of photography pages. In the future, she plans on exploring more offbeat destinations not just in India, but globally as well.
Maheshwari believes that nothing worth having comes easy in life. “It is only hard work and sheer persistence which can help us get closer to achieving our dream. So always stay positive and keep trying” she says.
