BEYOND LIMITS

SEEMA KUMAR, FOUNDER

Good Over Evil, Light Over Darkness

October is one of my favorite months of the year, partly because it is when I have my birthday. But also because it is a month full of festivities celebrating traditions around the world. With the days getting increasingly shorter and cooler, we seek warmth, comfort and more time indoors with family and friends. Summer is gone, but fall fun has just begun.

In the United States, it’s time to go apple and pumpkin picking, while enjoying the crisp fall weather and the beauty of leaves changing color. Already kids are looking forward to dressing up for Halloween, going trick or treating, and eating candies. Of course, beer lovers are looking forward to celebrating the German tradition of Oktoberfest, drinking loads of beer, and eating bratwurst.

For South Asians, October brings two festivals celebrating the victory of good over evil. The first is Dussehra, which falls on October 5 this year. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga defeats the terrifying buffalo demon Mahishasura, restoring justice and peace in the world. On October 24, we celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. It is by far the biggest Hindu festival of the year, one celebrated all over the world. It marks the

PHOTO CREDIT: SHRAVYA KAG victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.

This month, as always, SEEMA highlights extraordinary women, pioneers who have blazed the trail in fields like fintech, music, technology and more. Our cover star is Suneera Madhani. She is the co-founder and CEO of Stax, a subscription style merchant service start-up that gained a $1 billion valuation in March. The 30-something Madhani is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, and her incredible life inspires many who look like us. We also sit down with Kavita Krishnamurthy, the legendary Indian classical and playback music artist. An incredible vocalist who has recorded more than 50,000 songs in almost 50 languages, she is and is the recipient of India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri. Plus, we talk to filmmaker Kauvery Kaul, designer Tina Tandon, and Tanvi Gupta, CEO of a new dating app called SwoonMe! And so much more.

No Diwali celebration would be complete without a sumptuous meal, and we’ve got something special for you. Three of India’s top chefs have put together a choice three-course meal you can make at home – one that is healthy to boot! And our columnist Sweta Vikram reflects on the real meaning behind Diwali, and the importance of gratitude and of lighting up someone else’s life through giving.

Finally, we wind down after the hubbub of celebrations by taking a relaxing road trip and enjoy the fall foliage and quiet time to reflect on nature’s bounty and what we must do to protect and sustain it.