The Master Of An Unparalleled Art - Guru Ekankita Agrawalla

"25 years ago, I got into completing the mission of fulfilling my Mother’s childhood dream of becoming a classical dancer. Today, I am an International Odissi dancer.

My journey started when Guru Prativa Panda used to teach dance & I, around 4-5 years old, had been an active onlooker. My interest was recognized by her and she asked my parents to enroll me.

During this journey, many obstacles came my way. I was craving for growth, but monetary constraints, obstructed me. Outdoor performances required frequent and extensive travelling, so, due to exhaustion, I would pass out. I was also diagnosed with ASO(hounding of millions of bacteria in the bone fluid). My legs swelled abnormally, I experienced excruciating pain at a stretch of 2 hours for 3 years. The pain could not let me dance and I was shattered.  I had to take Penicillin every day without fail. On the other hand, Odissi requires heavy makeup; hence there have been times when the troupe decided not to remove makeup for 4 to 5 days & we used to sleep with that. Moreover, it was challenging for me to pursue my passion along with studies, mostly in senior years. But, somehow, I completed my P.G in dance. 

Many times, I was not being offered the lead or was just asked to fill in. It led me to question myself. But, I fought back and practiced, keeping my focus alive. In 2014, I also attempted for making a name in “Guinness Book of World Record” for the longest hours of uninterrupted performance.

Currently, I am working as a Business Analyst in Zomato. After office, I practice for an hour daily and participate in various events. A most recent achievement was grabbing the “Nrutya Naipunya Puraskar” in International Dance Olympiad. I had beautiful experiences while performing in Malaysia, California, Sri Lanka and UK, contributing to spreading this art worldwide. After a struggle of 26 years, I was awarded with the prestigious title of “Guru Ekankita Agrawalla” by Griffin College, London.

My parents are my utmost pillars of strength. With their support, I was able to find a balance between academics and passion. Through all these years, the one thing that life taught me is that get up and do your thing, even when the odds are against you." - Guru Ekankita Agrawalla. 

An Effort To Change The World! - Pratik Dash

“I am a recent BTech pass-out, and although I always had had sympathy for the underprivileged, I had not thought of becoming a full-time social worker. When I was at a railway station during the winters to receive some guests for a college camp, I saw a mother sleeping on the road with her child, without any blanket or bedsheet. That very sight opened my eyes and I realized that money and fame would be of no use, if we cannot do any good to people like these.

Keeping this in mind, I slowly got into social work, and that in turn made me move out of engineering. I then started volunteering at National Service Scheme (NSS), and I became a coordinator there, and I organized various camps for helping the underprivileged. One time, I was out for a camp, and did not eat for 3 days, which made me severely ill, and I had to be admitted to a hospital.

In 2020, I received the NSS State Award, and during the pandemic, I’ve coordinated the work done by my NSS team in all the 30 districts of Odisha. I’ve also worked with NGOs to provide food to people in flooded areas. 

I decided not to sit for placements in my college, and I stood firm with my decision, and soon, I'll be pursuing my Master’s degree in Social Work. Many people criticized me for giving up on my original career path, and said that I would not be able to do social work if I do not have a stable income source. My reply was that social work isn’t possible with materialism only, but even making a person smile is a form of social work. I might not have a lot of money, but I know that in the end, I will have that inexplicable inner peace, that not many people have these days.” – Pratik Dash.

Make Way For I Am Here! - Bisakha Das

"I am the only female child in a family full of men. I grew up playing, living and spending time with my brothers. I used to feel inferior to them because of all the different ways in which I was treated in comparison to them. 

Besides this, I was also criticized due to my physical appearance and my day-to-day activities. I have a dark complexion, and as a member of this Indian society, we are the luckiest if we are not shamed for it. 

Despite not-so affluent financial situations, my parents managed to educate me in a good school. School life was rather a traumatic experience for me, but I got the lessons of life. I lost a lot of friends(the ones who were like a family to me), learnt to thrive irrespective of my insecurities and gained the confidence and independence that one needs to walk through life. 

Our family's financial condition encouraged me to take freelancing as a part-time job and this changed my life. My first project required a registration fee which I could not afford, hence, my friend paid for it. I owe him big! The project yielded around 500 rupees(my first ever income!). After doing a few projects of content writing and scripting, I came across some publication houses who decided to hire me! The feeling was surreal.

I have taken part in around 89 anthologies till date and am on my way to publish my own book. I was also sponsored as a Representative of Indian Youth Columnists. After all this success, I only have gratitude in my heart. Thank you to those who made all the attempts to disqualify me, but guess what? You do not get to do that. I am qualified and I am here to leave a mark! - Bisakha Das.

The Foodie Siblings - Sitabja Sitosna

"Initially, when I would try my hands at cooking, Dad would tease me saying, "Homescience neija"; meaning, he did not like to think of cooking as a profession or even a hobby for me. My mother, on the other hand, supported me through and through. 

When I moved out of my house for higher education, I used to eat out often and send the pictures to my younger brother. Seeing the pictures and already being aware of my passion for food, he insisted me to start a food blog. However, the pressure of  college was already too much for me.

In college, however, some of my friends and I started a food page on Instagram. Since there were so many of us, handling the page didn't seem burdening. In 2 months time, the future of the page seemed bleak(as we all returned home, due to Covid) and we decided to let go of the page. 

In 2020, my Facebook influenced Mother, suggested that I should work on food blogging. My brother, too, asked me to do the same, asked is a subtle way to put it, he forced! I accepted their suggestion and also asked my brother to help me, because I have a job to tend to. 

Working with my brother has been a hilarious ride. We disagree and fight a lot, and I always use the trump card of being the elder one. His reply to comments may be boring, but he is the sole reason that the page is up and running. 

In a few days, I'll shift to Hyderabad and he will start his graduation. Managing the page might get difficult, but we will try to make it work. The sibling duo is excited for what lies ahead." - Sitabja Sitosna.

Lover Of Cinema - Manoj Soren

"Growing up as a kid in the small mining township Tensa, a lot of my time was consumed by watching Hindi films on Doordarshan, Star Gold and pirated VCDs. Little did I know, this was going to become my life later. 

In High School, I used to write fiction stories on my notebook and read it to my English teacher and at this time, my father brought home a Nikon Coolpix L120 for our family trip and that was the turning point of my life. With that 21x zoom, I realized how human emotions can be captured in an image. I joined a photography club in Rourkela, exhibited my pictures and won some prizes. 

After having a fluctuating academic career, I got into the prestigious Satyajit Ray Film And Television Institute, which guided my steps towards storytelling. Telling a story and connecting with the audience were dreams that I envisaged. Currently, I am pursuing Cinema. The bigger goal is not to make a big film, but a film that stays with the audience, even after a long time." - Manoj Soren.

Busy Soaring! - Trishara Dangua

"My father worked in the Air Force and hence I was always travelling during my childhood. Changing schools, making new friends, learning new languages and adjusting to changing environments was no stranger to me.

As a baby I nearly escaped death during an earthquake. My mother saved me. Growing up, I suffered from fits and absent seizures. I was restricted from engaging in physical activities like playing, dancing, going on rides and I had multiple diet restrictions. I would consume medicines every morning and night. This took a huge toll on my mind and body. It also affected my academic performance.

After years of shifting, we settled in Odisha where I completed my schooling and graduation. During my college days, I also suffered from a brief period of depression. It was during this phase that I had also started my journey as a teacher. I would give tuitions to children during my free time and I fell in love with it. This also helped me overcome depression and made me stronger and independent.

I have always been an artistic person. I love art, photography and painting and had always wanted to give modelling a shot. My parents were very supportive of me and encouraged me. I took part in various modelling shows and beauty pageants. I started doing yoga, dancing and focused on my health and fitness. I was crowned Miss Chilika and later went on to represent Odisha. My friends and family members felt proud of me.This boosted my self confidence and spark.

Recently I went on a trek with my partner to Kashmir great lakes and had many priceless memories. The ten day journey was tough with varied terrains and challenges but I enjoyed crossing every obstacle and shared so many priceless memories. The exquisite views were worth all the effort. It was literally heaven on earth. So in life, we face many obstacles but if we focus on the goal and keep rewarding ourselves for the small achievements along the way, at the end of the day when we finally reach our goal we realize all the effort was worth it. It's not just about the destination but also about the journey. So it's very important that we enjoy the journey of life while we chase our goals and keep celebrating the small victories along the way and keep ourselves self motivated.

As things took a turn in my life, I haven't had a single fit for the last ten months and have been off my medications since. I am having the time of my life. I am fitter and stronger than ever before.

I am currently working as a teacher in a play school while pursuing my master's degree. I still do the things that I love which involves modelling, travelling, dancing,  doing yoga ,working out and am also learning to play the guitar. I feel it's very important for all of us to take out the time to do the things we love.

Whether it's having near a death experience, health problems, constant change in environments and friends or even depression, all these experiences helped me become stronger. It is very important to have hope and stay motivated towards ones goals no matter what obstacles come along. With right support and hard work one can really shine through. Do what you love and follow your heart.

'When you let your situation intimidate you, you will become sore, but turn the tables and you will soar! ' - Trishara Dangua.