Aayushi Das

"My dad is a doctor. The only complain I've heard from people around me and relatives is that I am skinny and I definitely don't look like a doctor's daughter. Maybe people think it's necessary to be plump or over 60 kgs to be called healthy. I have always been insecure about it. But guess what? When I grew up I realized it's my super power. I eat a lot and am totally fit. I went through a ligament replacement surgery 2 years back and realized how important it is to accept your body. I'm an athlete and a Rugby player and the university Champion of my college for 2 consecutive times. It gets so hard for me to even tell people that I do play rugby which is a power sport. I guess I won't be able to thank  my parents  enough ever, for the extreme support they have had for me. Be it dance, sports, debate, or anything you can think of, they have supported me in every way. I have more than 130 awards and 60+ medals at home which my parents are very proud of.

 

 I have learnt to love my body. I have learnt that if you have your parents and amazing friends which I have, you can deal with anything you're going through. The only thing I want to do in life is to make my parents proud always. I want to continue my dance, rugby along with my after Engineering career. It took me 20 years to know that the most important kind of love is self love. I have definitely realized that I'm not too tiny to have a big impact." -Aayushi Das

Saransh Das

“In eighth grade, I was awestruck by the magic displayed by Dynamo in his show called, ‘Dynamo: Magician Impossible’, airing on History TV18. The show was inspiring, because a part of the money they made was donated for cancer patients. I started to analyse the logic behind his tricks. I got books  to understand the science behind magic tricks. Gradually, I started to showcase miniature tricks which were not interesting to the audience since it was common. I lost my enthusiasm, but didn't give up. 

I used social media and my reach graph slowly sped up. While I was starting out and looking for a LIVE audience, I’d credit my school for arranging stage shows for me since the seventh grade. Soon, I got offers and did free shows for institutions like FIITJEE and Aakash. My motto was to spread happiness among people. 

My IG posts started attracting international magicians and I kept posting and tagging them! One day, Dynamo- my role model- replied  and asked me to join ‘MAGICIANS ON BREAK’. It is an international community, consisting of the best budding magicians.The world has beautiful magic that we are unaware of and my aim is to bring such magic to my nation. 

Opportunities at LPU made me competitive. It has talent clubs where students have to apply, unlike in my case, where clubs wanted me to sign in for a year and perform at their events. It was a dream when an audience of 3-5k turned up for one of my shows. Recently, I represented Bangladesh for ‘One World’ competition and bagged the third place and won Rs. 15,000/-.

During this lockdown, I came up with an idea of putting up an International-Collab-Magic video on Instagram and it gained a lot of love within a few days. I did an interview with Kalinga TV and also went live on their Facebook page with 31k viewers.

 My advice for the upcoming magicians like myself is,1)Never reveal the secret behind your magic, 2)Practice numerous times in front of a mirror before performing before an audience, 3)Never interrupt a fellow magician in between their performance.

I hope I fulfil the eighth grader Saransh’s dream of performing unseen innovative magic on India’s Got Talent.”- Saransh Das

Prateek Mohapatra

TW: ''Coming from the family of an airman, I was expected to be an extrovert who could fit in quite easily because the force required us to switch bases every two to three years, But, I was not. Notwithstanding my crippled capacity in socialising, I made a good bunch of friends when I stayed in Punjab and Agra.

When I was in 2nd grade, my father got out of the force and became a banker and his dream of returning to his hometown after 20 long years came to fruition. We landed up in Cuttack. A place I honestly considered hell, because all I could see during my 2 week visits to my Nani's was trash and poor management. Well, I had to learn Odia to survive here. My parents thought it would be easy because of my Odia genes, but it was a nightmare.

Fast forward to 2018, I was in 9th and I'd had my fair share of betrayals and friends who just gave up on me. I'd got done with a relationship and lost faith in humans. I disowned friends who actually cared and sided with two-faced turds. A few months in, a prank went wrong and it led to a chain of events that started the darkest phase of my life. I got blamed for something I didn't do and I was left all alone. I went into depression, (yeah that happens to 15 year-olds too). The first thing that came to my mind was to end my life, and I was 2 inches away from doing so, but I thought that it wasn't time just yet. I knew I had clinical depression and  I turned to a cousin(who I knew suffered from depression and recovered too) because I hated crying myself to sleep and also my extreme migraines. He advised me to find ways for closure and ease up on the deep seated guilt. I stole from his old stash of anti-depressants, Prozac, Zoloft, the whole deal and I kind of got addicted to it and started finding excuses to visit my aunt (at 11 in the night on one occasion). I thought, who'd notice right? Well, my brother did, and he threw away the remaining pills and forbade me to make the same mistakes he did. But, it was all in vain because my insomnia and migraines came back. Luckily, I found love and I found myself healing, but that was short lived. We had our share of differences and I ended up being the same as before. I did some research and found that new hobbies are good for mental health. I tried writing and meme-making, but it all fell through.While in quarantine, I came across one artwork that inspired me a lot, not just because the artist was my pal, but also because I was really moved by the message rooted in it. And I thought to myself that that was it, I was gonna become a digital artist! And believe me, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. It's been two months and I believe my ordeal with MDD is over. I'm getting a great response on my artworks and I've reached out to people with mental health issues (FYI this is the first instance of contact I've made with strangers) and have helped quite a few of them.This was my story of finding my own self and being proud of it.'' - Prateek  Mohapatra

                                          

                                         

Tanya Singh

''I am the type of girl that you would find at a party, dancing like a crazy, without getting high. I have seen people getting intoxicated and then enjoying themselves, but I really appreciate those who are able to have fun without feeling the need to depend on an outside source, like a beer. I feel that they are the ones who justify “Carpe Diem”. When I was in class 5, my Dad went into depression. He was crying and struggling, but he didn’t ask for help. He thought that drinking would free him from being depressed. Hence, he indulged into that. However, that was a totally wrong approach. Therefore, we sent him to a good therapist to deal with this in the right manner. Even now, he is going to the therapist every 45 days. He has accepted his situation and he is trying his best to overcome it. While this phase was relevant in my Dad’s life, my Mom stood like a pillar beside him. People asked her to get a divorce, but she held onto him. When my Dad shouted, she calmed him. When he cried, she sat beside him. When my Dad was hospitalized, she stayed in the hospital for the 10 days of Dussehra without complaining a tad bit. She managed everything in our house, from the household chores to the school fees. Both of my parents have inspired me. My Father has always supported me in all my endeavors. He always says that I am different. My mother, on the other hand, always compared her two children(laughs). 

I am extrovert since my childhood. When I was 2 years old, I used to go near our front gate and ask passerbys to take me to the market with them. I feel that I am overtly friendly and hence, I used to trust anyone and everyone. Sometimes, that didn’t turn out well for me because some of my friends took undue advantage. Moreover, I am very blunt. I support what I feel is right and I don’t negotiate with that. No matter who it is, my best friend or any close friend, I don’t take side with someone who is in the wrong. Because of this, I lost a lot many friends. 

ODC came into my as randomly as it can get. I created this page just because I am a foodie. Before this page, I still used to roam about Cuttack and have from every nook and corner. A lot many people used to DM me asking about the location of each place I have been to. Then I thought, if I can reply to 15 people on my DM, why not create a page for it? I named the page “Oh Delicious Cuttack” because I wanted to upload about Cuttack exclusively. Dahibara is not the only food in Cuttack. I wanted to show the variety and range of food that Cuttack has to its name. I love promoting the street food. I feel they are the ones who add so much to the food culture of Cuttack. As is relevant on my page, I am a lover of Munu Bhai Chai. In my initial days of coming to this place, there was no streetlight here. As I started promoting his delicacy, more people showed up and finally, a streetlight was put. I am happy that I could give him some recognition through my page. 

Its been two years now. ODC has become a part of me and my personality. On day, as my Dad was travelling through Mo Bus, a random person came up to him and asked him whether he was my father. It felt so good, honestly. This page came into existence because of my Dad. His support gave me confidence. To all the upcoming bloggers, I would like to say that keeping doing what you got to do. Initial days might be tough, but stick to your content and it will all come through for you.” – Tanya Singh.

Atashi Sinha

''I am someone you'll probably find at a MUN (Model United Nations) Conference or in any open Mic event or posting some good writings and other stuffs on social media. If not that, you must have seen my articles being featured in Kloud9 national  magazine. So basically,  you now know that I love to write, speak and have fun. But no one knows me to the bone. My story isn't quite fully mine, but it belongs to my baba. MY BABA, MY HERO!

My father's a doctor and I've been raised in a middle class Bengali joint family, here in Cuttack. My Baba has always pampered me very much. Every year, he has some medical conferences to attend; so he takes us along (my brother, Maa and me). And it's because of him that I get to experience commodities that I never could've imagined- luxury hotels to stay in, good food, a great lifestyle. But 2015 was the end of all this. I was 11 years old then (in std VI), when my father got a heart stroke. Due to that incident, his left leg and left hand were paralyzed. The night when this happened, I remember Baba was taking out some money from the cupboard which I needed to register myself for an olympiad exam. As baba tried to hand over the money to me, it fell from his hands. When he sat before the TV, the remote fell down. Simultaneously, as he went to sleep , he started sweating despite the A.C. being on. He was admitted immediately. The next morning, when I went to meet Baba, he laid down on the hospital bed wearing the blue and dull robe. As I questioned my uncle about him, I learnt that both his left hand and leg were now paralyzed, which meant that he had lost the power to even move his left hand anytime in future. Luckily, the leg was alright. It took him 8 months to recover and when he did , he didn't back out from his work. He still went to the hospital everyday, though he no more drove the scooter himself. He did this because he knew that he had other lives to look after. Years after that, in 2019, Baba suffered a minor heart attack. He fainted. Immediately, he was being admitted to Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneshwar where the doctors found that there's a blockage in one of the channels of his heart. This required an ace doctor to operate on it and a lot of money for the operation. So Baba was taken to the Asian Heart Hospital, Mumbai where the renowned Dr. Ramakant Panda operated his heart and gave him a whole new happy life. This case was so intense that even a doctor like Dr. Ramakant had taken 3 hours just to plan and 8 hours to execute the operation. From there, I concluded that my father was on his death bed. He was confined to that one room for several months and with a specific diet. 

Now, I don't know how long my father will be here with me after so many hazards of health, but what I surely know is as long as he lives, he will prove to be the man of my reality. MY BABA is MY HERO! Despite facing so many turmoils in life, he is still working just to earn enough for a better future of his family. And if he's doing so, I surely won't do any less. As long as I have my father by my side , I'll try to give him all the happiness of this universe because again, MY BABA is MY HERO! 

Ever since then, I've urged to be a social worker, providing the impoverished ones the most that I can. I try to spread smiles and currently I'm working on a lot of things that I wish to do in the future. I live for others now and I'll try to reach to as many people as I can.

He's a fighter more stronger than anybody else on this planet. He is my inspiration. He is my BABA- Dr. C.K. Sinha. "

-Atashi Sinha

Yashobanta Rout

''My father grew up in a small village of Odisha. He was a Law student at Utkal University. After

completing his studies, he joined the Odisha High Court. Last year, he was elected the Secretary on

OAT, Cuttack. However, due to some complications the tribunal fell through and my Dad landed up

in a deep pit. Most of the cases that my Dad fought came through OAT, hence, when it broke down,

financial and mental problems swept into the family. The lingering thought that he had a family to

look after, disturbed and shattered him. These problems continued for a period of 3 months. I could

see my Dad hurting. However, more than the hurt, he had the determination to get on top of his

hindrances. He worked hard day and night and also motivated himself, when the burden of his

problems felt heavy on his shoulders. During this phase, I tried to be there for my Dad. He couldn’t

sleep when the thought of the family expenditure creeped into his mind. Sometimes, I did

misunderstand him, but my Dad made me feel stronger to conquer my challenges. His courage,

during those 3 months, makes me want to hustle.

My Dad believes that in any difficulty, a human can have 2 reactions, that is, crying over it or trying

to get past it. The latter takes guts, but its worth it.'' - Yashobanta Rout

Sailendra Samantaray

“Every teen craves for some positive attention. Everybody wants to be known for what they’re good at, everybody craves that appreciation at this age, everybody wants people to know them. When people begin to see you, you can influence a lot of them. They hear you out; they respect your opinions.  When you’re in a crowded room, you automatically stand out from the rest of the crowd. 

My career in dance started from Dance India Dance (DID) Li'l Masters in 2010. I had started my training just a year before. This was when my infatuation towards dance heightened. Dance is my passion. It means peace to me. I’d love to make my way into the industry as soon as I graduate. I have been working on album songs and movie scripts now, as well.

It has been a smooth ride. I wouldn’t say I’ve had “difficulties” because that has always been my favorite part. From having nothing to working hard each day to finally getting some recognition, that overwhelms me immensely.

I am a meme-lover. Earlier I could share on social media whatever I liked but now very often than not, it might turn into an issue. People start judging you, they call you anti-communalist, they form opinions how I am influencing my audience in a negative manner. They don’t take things in a light hearted way. It’s almost like you’ve lost your social life. We have to be more careful.

My friends don’t hype me up though; we are still the same as we used to be and I really love that. I am the younger one in my family so obviously the most pampered one too. My parents have always been so supportive of my choices but they’re particular about one thing- your education should be your first priority. 

To speak of events- I have never been a wardrobe-oriented person. Earlier I could go out even in my pajamas but these days, I have to carry myself well even when I step out for a plate of Dahibara Aloodum. There was this one time when I went to have some boiled eggs in my neighborhood. I was wearing a tee which had a slight hole near my left shoulder. Suddenly some people gathered around me and came forward wanting a selfie. They had their hands on my shoulder and all this while when  I was smiling for the picture, I couldn’t stop thinking about the tear in my tee.. (laughs) This was when my second album had aired so it was all new to me. But now I absolutely adore my fans!

There was this other time when I had been to a college for a shoot. 3-4 girls walked up to me with roses and chocolates. They were in tears seeing me. They hugged me and started crying. It was such an emotional moment. There, at that point, I understood how much fandom can mean and how impactful an individual can be.

When I was younger, even I used to get super excited when I saw a TV star or anything and now being there at that position, it feels good- all the love and support that the audience has to give and I consider myself truly blessed!”

-Sailendra Samantaray

Vaarsha Bharadwaj

"Art has always been my backbone. I never knew I could draw until I was 12. My classmates used to ask me to draw biology diagrams for them. It was back then when I actually started playing around with all the colours and shades. But, I did feel that something was missing and I wasn't satisfied with it, so that's when I started drawing with a black gel pen. It changed my life, I never loved something as much as black gel pens. It has a little piece of my heart. I used to maintain a note pad with all my drawings and while I was in 9th grade it was stolen by somebody. I was devastated and cried my eyes out. I stopped drawing after that incident. It felt so difficult to start everything all over again. Few years passed and I went through a massive heartbreak, getting cheated on ain't easy, you know right? LOL! That was the toughest time for me and I was in college, my marks started dropping, I got backlogs in my very first year. I tried everything but nothing seemed to work. I started to hate studying, I didn't attend my classes and started failing even in internals.

 That's when I again picked up my black gel pen from where I had left it and drew something on my book and in no time I felt good. That was the time when I changed. I got myself back on the track. I started drawing on my notes so that I could enjoy whatever I study, I started drawing on my face and everywhere around me. 

That's when I saw the real me, that's when I felt really happy. That's when I came to know that my favourite colour is yellow." - Varshaa Bharadwaj

Satyajeet Singh

"Belonging to a family of inter-religion marriage, life had been difficult for me. My father, a Christian, who had the guts to elope a Hindu Brahmin IPS Officer's only daughter and then start a family is a beautiful example.But, sometimes the closest bright example doesn't motivate you and becomes the hardest obstacle for you. Same thing happened in my case. I was punished and locked in for not choosing science after my 10th. Forceful admission into science resulted in severe mental violence, physical harm, breaking up of family peace and eve-teasing by friends because I didn't play so-called boys' games like "football, cricket, etc". Being called "chakka" for having a number of 'girl-friends", was prevalent during the school days. I led a lonely life and had no one to share my feelings with. Schooldays went by and then came in the college days. After losing the chance of getting into Christ University, my parents got me into Ravenshaw University as a psychology graduate, that too, after a lot of conflicts. It is said when you go to places and meet new people, you have a different viewpoint. The deeply hidden identity of mine as a bisexual kid came into prevalence when I got two beautiful friends of mine who helped me to come out of all those enclosed thought processes and helped to identify the real me. Life showed me a new chapter of self-acceptance and self-love. Being alleged by closed ones and then those allegations spreading like fire, getting texts of random people to assassinate my character with words which can break mental peace, had become a trend in my life. I had gone through a mental, emotional and physical breakdown.From having given the name of "curse" born in the family to the defamation of character, had broken me completely. I used to shut myself in a corner and cry for hours. But as I said, I got blessed with friends who constantly stood for me and made me come out of all those things. Calling up almost regularly, diverting my attention and taking a stand for me, they did everything just to bring that smile on my face.Thanks to them who brought the new Jeet in me and made me more happy and self-sufficient. " - Satyajeet Singh.

Inspector S. K. Pradhan

“As per the Government guidelines, the lockdown is extended in Odisha as well as nationwide. Some areas are under shutdown, meaning complete curfew in that area; and some under lockdown, meaning restricted access for security measures.

In our area, essentials are available from 7AM to 6PM.

First phase: Complete shutdown was ensured where no one should be seen outdoors. Our people can be called fortunate enough because until now, we had never been this close to what a lockdown was, unlike you know, certain other states or so. Our people took some time to let the concept sink in. It was under our duty and gradually the local people were made to understand that this widespread dangerous virus, Corona, could be avoided by social distancing only. Staying home is our only way, as of now.

We continued patrolling and announcing but at the end of the day, around 75% of the people adhered to it while 25% didn’t. Action was taken against the latter, after proper introspection. This turned the 70% to 90% but there are still those 10% of people, mostly the young boys of this rural area, who are still stubborn and in denial that any such thing could harm them. They have this terrible habit of playing cards in the evening that they cannot seem to overcome that.

Phase 2: Shops were opened so that people could have access to necessities. To ensure social distancing, proper measures were taken by us- Marks were given as positions and any way otherwise wasn’t allowed.

Phase 3: Shops are opened from 7AM to 6PM. We make sure that everyone is indoors by the curfew time. The migrants have returned now. Temporary Medical Centres have been set up in every panchayat for their quarantine stay. Our area has set up 32 TMCs. We are ensuring that their needs are attended well. They have been very cooperative with us and we haven’t faced any disturbance till now.

Although they say family comes first, for us, it is our second priority. Our people, our state, come first. This is a war. War between Nature and Human Race. If human beings don't respect the boundaries of nature, nature will respond in such a manner.

When the Government guidelines are taken for granted, we put ourselves, our family as well as all of others in trouble. Hence, it is our appeal to the public to observe the rules of social distancing. Covid-19 has taught us that unity can achieve anything. The police force, the Government and the medical department cannot do it by themselves. We need your help as much as you need ours. Only then we can defeat Corona virus!” – Inspector Sujit Kumar Pradhan [12.05.20]

Dr. Vidushi Pradhan

“I moved to London when I was 14 years old. I had no idea what I wanted to do in life. I never dwelled on the thoughts of becoming a doctor, because my mother was one. But everyone wanted me to pursue medical, and such pestering made me a rebel and I started avoiding it altogether. 

Once when my mum forced me to organise some work placements in a hospital; there, I realised that I actually like being in that surrounding. So, I took up medicine, completed my degree and now here I’m as a medic. I work in Hillingdon Hospital, the closest hospital to Heathrow Airport. I look after unwell patients who require admission to hospital in the Emergency Department. To be honest, I didn’t take COVID-19 very seriously in the beginning, because I felt like it was mainly spreading in China. 

I remember witnessing my first case, she was a forty-nine-year-old midwife and we had to take her to the ICU. That’s when I became scared and realised that we have to battle this pandemic together. My family didn’t hesitate or feel panicky when they got to know that I have to be there at the forefront, because they knew it is my job to serve the people and I had to do it. The very first thing was to prepare myself mentally so that I could be calm at all times regardless of the severity of the situation, and then I set for the hospital.

One day, I started feeling very tired after a 12 hour shift so as I got home, I realised that I had a temperature. The following week was horrible, I was in bed with constant fevers and sweating. I was sure that I was COVID positive so constantly kept monitoring myself and my breathing, which probably wasn’t helping much. Luckily, I never had to be admitted to hospital. I returned back to work after seven days off. I probably should’ve taken a few more days off to rest, but I felt very guilty as the hospital was very busy and staffs were trying their best to cope up with the demands of the situation.

I see many patients getting admitted and discharged each day and there are these two instances where my heart sank. First, when I had to video call my patient’s two sons, so that they could see her and informed them that their mother was going to the ICU and none of us knew that it was probably the last time they spoke to their mother, before she was intubated. Second, I called up a patient’s daughter to inform her that her mother has passed away. She could not come to the hospital to pay her last respects and I felt so despondent. Gradually, our patients in the hospital are recovering, and we are not seeing much cases anymore. Lastly, I would like to say that we’re in this together so keep your hopes up, stay at home, and eventually it will pass.” – Dr. Vidushi Pradhan [23/05/2020].

Swagatika Acharya

“ I never knew that Cancer, a word that creates terror in our minds, will be one of the special parts of my life. When I was only 19, I was diagnosed with Nasopharynx Carcinoma, a type of Cancer. Seeing my reports, everyone broke down. However, I never thought Cancer to be that big, I always thought that it’s just like a normal disease. I went to Tata Memorial, Mumbai for my treatment. It took us 10 long days to get my protocol from them and then we came back to Bhubaneswar and got my treatment started. But during those days in Mumbai, I saw Papa lying like a kid while confessing whether I will be back to normal or not and on that particular day I promised myself to win over cancer and not only that, I promised myself to be an example to those who say Cancer is not curable.

On  my birthday, my first chemo started. Due to the side effect of chemo, when the hair fall started, I decided to go bald. After that, people questioned my beauty and suggested that I should wear a wig. I loved my hair, but I took this step because I believe that beauty is always within us, inside our heart. I chose to be beautiful from my heart. I used to click bald pictures of mine and upload them to reflect that nothing can ever break you.

The radiation phase made me learn about the realities of life. I lost my voice for 4 months and got mouth ulcers for which I was not able to consume any solid food. My food pipe got squeezed and I was only able to take 4 glasses of liquid a day. It took me over an hour to consume one glass of liquid.  Everyone around me was getting demotivated and sad, but my father used to say, "Beta, duniya mein jitna dukh nai, hamara dukh usse bohut kam hai”. I then realized there are a lot of other people who are fighting to survive and if they can, why can’t I. I always feel nothing is impossible for us when we have the determination. Without nasal feeding, I successfully completed my radiation. After my radiation, when I went for check-ups, by God’s grace and everyone’s love, I was declared free from cancer. Doctors said that my positivity and confidence made me win over cancer!

Cancer wasn’t a curse for me. God always sends the strongest soldiers to fight the toughest battles. After being diagnosed with cancer, I was blessed with a new birth. I went bald just like a new born goes; I was being pampered and loved and cared by everyone. After 4 months of not being able to speak, I gradually learnt to talk. I experienced life more closely at my age, I came out stronger and more confident than ever. I got to spend time with my parents, which most people miss growing up.

Life is a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs which makes life more fun to live. Sad times come to make you realise about your happy times. We are so much greater than our problems. People question me how I managed to win such a tough battle. The truth is that I believed that I am strong enough to face it. I fought with utmost courage & positivity. Everyone should work towards being bigger than the problems. “

-Swagatika Acharya.

Ananya Mishra

"I have been fighting with Asthma since I was 3 years old. I have never participated in any kind of sports and have always been restricted from having ice-cream, cold drinks, fruits and all such things which might spur up the problem.These restrictions have been imposed on me since 17 years and would be with me till death. Any day I break one restriction, I have to pay back with much suffering and pain .When I walk beyond my capacity (that's different from other ordinary kids) I need my inhaler beside me, you can say I carry my lungs out of my body or that inhaler is a part of my body which makes me feel caged all the time. I study in VSSUT, Burla and the only distance I have travelled in my life is from Cuttack (home) to Burla.

I have friends who don't understand my pain and mock me for being so fat and weak from within, and some think am faking it. They make fun of me by saying that "my issue is much more complicated than their break-up stories". I have few friends who actually care for me and help me out in painful situations, and am really thankful to them. At times I feel like my parents are fed up taking care of me and need a break. It feels terrible to be dependent and at times my relatives sit down to calculate the money spent on my medications. It's a huge amount and I feel sorry for my parents, that most of their savings that are spent on me could have been used in buying them a house. But, still life goes on, and with each day passing by, I get up from bed with a positive vibe to face the world with all my abilities and disabilities. Someday , I hope that I might win the battle that I fight with Asthma." - Ananya Mishra

Madhusmita

"Growing up, I was an insecure girl who had issues with her skin. I was called different names such as "kala kawa"(black crow).I always believed in the type of beauty that comes from within.However, like always, people put their opinions before me.

Then puberty happened. I enrolled into this beauty community which really built up my confidence.Makeup is a source of confidence for me.It makes me fall in love with myself over and over again.But again,people started commenting things like, "Why so much makeup?", "Don't you love yourself?", "Natural beauty is best" and so on.

The bottom line is no matter what you do in your life, people are always going to judge you and put their irrational and unasked opinions before you. You just have to continue doing what you love. I like doing things that make me feel good about myself, give me encouragement and above all, give me happiness.
Presently, there are hundreds of girls who keep texting me about their issues, their insecurities and their stories of being bullied all because of this society that likes to keep pulling everyone down. I feel grateful that all my followers and supporters have always appreciated me and helped me reach where I am today." - Madhusmita .

Devarapalli Prakash Rao, Padmashri awardee, 2019

“ I was a very bright student and had even got a scholarship in fifth grade, but due to our financial conditions, my father handed me a tea kettle and two glasses and showed me the path to sell tea and earn a living out of it. With a heavy heart, I obediently gave up on my dreams and walked on the path chosen by my father. It has been 56 years ever since and I’m still selling tea in that very kettle. Now, I’m not only a tea seller but a teacher for my school children, doctor for my underprivileged neighbours and a proud father of three daughters.
Whatever I am, it’s because of my children here. I started imparting education to five at first and now here I’m with 200+ children. Everyone has the right to dream, but to fulfil them we need to be educated.
Education has to be bought nowadays. It has become the privilege of rich people; so to change this I provide education, food, values, morals and ettiquettes to the underprivileged children without taking anything in return. I feel lucky that God has chosen me to serve his children so that they have a secured future. If a single member of a family is educated, generations of that family can evolve as successful and independent beings.

                                           

Everyday from 7:00A.M. to 11:00A.M. I sit in my small school and enjoy teaching the children. This initiative of mine has brought about a great difference in the children as well as in their families. Initially, the main motive of the parents to send their children was that they could have atleast one meal a day. However, on seeing the changes their children underwent, their perspective about education changed and so did their behaviour towards their kids. An alcoholic father who least bothered about his child, has now started caring for his child’s education. Children who used to spend their days picking domestic refuse, have now started picking up sentences, isn’t that wonderful?

                                     

 

                                                   

 

 Coming back to me, I’m an illiterate but I can speak 9 different languages. I have also given TED Talks, which you can find on Youtube.
My children are no less than the privileged children and I take so much pride in them. 

Every morning my children come to school in our school vehicle, learn how to read, write and sing in unison with the gurumas(teachers) and have delicious bhaata-dalma as lunch before dispersal. Cleanliness is a priority in our school; we make children wash their hands with sanitized water so that my little future scientists, doctors, entrepreneurs never fall ill .

A month ago I had a brain stroke and have incurred a little paralysis but of course that doesn’t stop me from teaching and spending time with my children. Sitting on this chair and looking at the faces of my joyful, smart children heals me more than medication will ever do ."
- Devarapalli Prakash Rao

Padmashri awardee, 2019

Dr.Shyamamani Devi

“I was very ambitious as a kid. I wanted to sing, I wanted to sing really well, I wanted to be appreciated for my singing: That was my mantra since I was just three and it still is. At that tender age, looking at my grandmother’s radio set, I used to dream how one day people will listen to my voice on it. It’s been forty-eight years roughly but I can’t remember when I actually started- it just happened.

During those times, in Odisha, music had no meaning. I was very lucky I had people with me supporting my art. My family always had my back even though some relatives formed opinions (The same relatives today are proud of me and give their recognition referring to being related to me). Being in the newspapers today, is a glory; back then- it was not. A girl being a singer or a dancer, is despised by our society, sometimes even today. Being in the news, was embarrassment. Mr. Biju Patnaik- he has helped me, an Odia girl, get recognition outside my state. The surrounding here wasn’t much fit for any budding singer so he sent me to Bombay. During my training there, I used to learn from my Guru and later work for him, doing his house chores. That was how we used to repay for his teachings. They had very strict rules for practice. I have even been beaten by my teachers, but all for my good. If it were not for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Singing is an art and having that as a career is unconventional but very brave. You just need patience, will and determination. In this field, if you go ten steps ahead, society might bring you fifteen steps backward. But if you trust your art, you will go places, no doubt. In music, to learn one-fold, you need to listen four-fold first. Anyone can paint but not everyone is an artist, right? The final touchup of the artist makes all the difference. The same way, the more you listen, the more you adapt in your voice and the more your horizon will increase. Art is indefinite; your hunger for knowledge should be greater. Hurdles are inevitable. Some days are sunny, some stormy. At times, your art will be appreciated, at times, criticized. You should just not stop, NEVER!

There is something that has always inspired me. It is said that the late Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi, one of the greatest Indian singers, was never off-tune even while laughing. He was such a great Indian icon but still at his death bed when people asked him, he hardly had any complaints about life.He replied, “Are you all out of your mind?.Out of the 7 Surr, 22 Shruti, I wish I could’ve completed at least one Surr in this lifetime but I’ve failed.” These words coming from him is enough to inspire me to keep learning every day, even at this age.

To all budding music enthusiasts out there, I’d just say: Follow the three D’s – Devotion, Dedication and Determination and you shall achieve what you desire. Be honest with your music. Surrender yourself to this art form. Respect your Guru. Have patience. When you become something, do not let ego crawl into you and always have a healthy relationship with the sentiments of your audience. That’s the key in this field.”

-Dr. Shyamamani Devi

ReplyForward

Deepak Biswal

"I have always had this urge to try something new. I haven’t ever been to an art institute or anything so I just started randomly making sketches with the ball pens that I used to write with. Most artists might think of using pencils, water colours, acrylic colours, oil colours etc as their medium of art. But, I wanted to try out things far from the mainstream ideas. I was experimenting with a lot of new techniques when I came across this authentic Smoke Art technique. I stumbled upon an YT video of a foreign artist named Spazuk who has been creating smoke art for around 20 years now. I tried my first attempt at smoke art after taking inspiration from him, around three years ago. I failed at it. So, I repeatedly watched his videos out of curiosity but still couldn’t figure out his techniques. I kept experimenting and finally got one successful piece after many tries. Another challenge was that, smoke is such a medium that withers away in a day or two. It took me eight long months to analyse the material and the techniques to make the smoke stay and result in something permanent. 

I am currently working on smoke, water sprays and WPC boards. I use stapler and ink stamps for artwork sometimes. I am also trying a lot of new things that are yet not tried by Indians. Apart from Spazuk, there is a single independent artist from South Africa with thirty years of experience in the field who uses plastic waste as his medium- He inspires me too. Using his approach, I have developed some art which has also gained positive feedback.

Professionally, I am a medicine distributor and have business trade. So, I don’t really get time in the day to work on my art. During the day, I go around my city for a ride early in the mornings, stop at places that entice me for a while. That is how I learn in the daytime and create my work on that in the night, after my working hours. 

I wish to introduce budding artists in this field my own techniques that I am trying really hard to develop now. It’s my dream to open an Art school. One day, I’d like to represent my state/country at national/International level through my art. Dibbiri and smoke have age old mythological rich histories; reviving its importance in generations to come is the need of the hour.

When there’s a mirror and a good person stands facing it, it will reflect good and vice versa. Smoke might be intoxication for many but for me, that’s my art. A positive approach towards things is necessary."

-Deepak Biswal