Category: People

One of the major elements which makes a city is its people. Without its people, the city is absolutely incomplete. And Udaipur has an umpteen number of such talented people everywhere making the city proud.

The section ‘People’ of UdaipurBlog jots together the information and details about the prominent personalities in Udaipur. It gives a platform to all those people who, with their hardwork and spirit, glorify the name of the city everywhere. Here you can read about all those people who, with their hard work and passion, create news in the pages of Udaipur.

The section also deals with a special series named ‘People in Udaipur you should know about’ which features all the renowned personalities who with their hard work and accomplishments, have not just made the city proud but the entire country proud. These people have set a benchmark in the history and secured a well-deserved spot in the blogs of this section.

Categories
People

Miraj Retails Awarded with the Prestigious ‘Business Excellence Award’ by ABP News

Miraj Retail, a leading entrepreneurial entity of industrial group Miraj, was awarded the ‘Excellence in Retail Business’ award in the fourth edition of ABP Business Excellence Awards 2018. The aim of the ABP group, through this award, is to identify businesses and individuals with different specializations in the field of retail business. In the grand ceremony held at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, the Vice Chairman of Miraj Group, Mantraraj Paliwal received this award.

He further told that “based on the line ‘Aapka Vishwaas hi hamaari pehchaan’, Miraj Group has made its mark on an international level today. Using new innovations in the retail sector is a key feature of the Miraj group. In the coming years, more than 1000 new stores of Miraj Retails will be started, where under one roof, all the items related to day-to-day life will be provided. In addition to that, the group will start different ventures all across the country including the Public Mall and Apparel Stores.”

During this time, several dignitaries were present along with the chief operating officer of ABP Group Avinash Pandey, CEO of Den Network Group Vivek Bhargava, and CEO of Miraj Retails Silash Paul.

Categories
People

Dinesh Nandini Dalmia | People from Udaipur You Should Know About

Our city – Udaipur is completely filled with beauty in and out. And this beauty is not reflected in just its history, culture and its places, but also in its people. There are some gem of the people belonging from Udaipur who, with their hard work and success, have not just made the city but the entire nation proud.

But sadly, with time we tend to forget the accomplishment of such people of the city. The series ‘People from Udaipur you should know about’ tends to glorify the journey of these famous and triumphant people from Udaipur who have become an epitome of success in their lives.

Dinesh Nandini Dalmia

Dinesh Nandini Dalmia, originally known as Dinesh Nandini Chordia, was born on 16th February 1928 in Udaipur. She was a renowned poet, story writer, and novelist of Hindi literature.

Life of Dinesh Nandini Dalmia

Dinesh started her literary activities at a mere age of 13 years. In the year 1946, at the age of 18 years, she got married to Ramkrishna Dalmia.

Source: सम्पूर्ण क्रांति

Ramkrishan Dalmia was the founder of the Dalmia group and after Jamshed Ji Tata and Ghanshyam Das Birla, he was the third biggest industrialist and third richest person in the country. He had a very close relationship with Mohammad Ali Jinnah and other popular politicians back then. During that time, when people couldn’t even imagine having a second marriage, he had six marriages where Dinesh Dalmia was his sixth wife. His life had been full of marital affairs but Dinesh agreed to marry him only on one condition that this would be his last marriage and it turned out to be true. But he still had many affairs with other ladies including the sister of Mohd. Ali Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah (as per the rumor).

Ramkrishna Dalmia | Source: News18

Even after her marriage Dinesh Nandini continued her education to secure a post-graduate degree and became the first woman to hold a master’s degree in the entire state of Rajasthan.

Dinesh was known to be a feminist because of her views as well as her literary works. She protested against the purdah system and discrimination against women. She was an active member of Indo-China Friendship Society, Lekhika Sangh and the Institute of Comparative Religion and Literature (ICRL) and even served as the president of ICRL.

Her work has compelled stalwarts like Harivansh Rai Bachchan to praise her in his autobiography. Pandit Nehru wrote several letters in appreciation of her works.

 

Notable works

  • Amongst her many bestsellers books, some popular ones are Shabnam, Niraash Aasha, Mujhe Maaf Kama and Yeh Bhi Jhooth Hai. Her daughter ‘Neelima Dalmia Adhar’ also wrote the famous biography of her father named as Father Dearest: The Life and Times of R. K. Dalmia in 2003.
Neelima Adhar Dalmia | Source: Times of India
  • Subsequently, she also wrote short stories and novels, out of which 35 were published.
  • ‘Phool Ka Dard’ is a documentary film which is made by her work of the same name.
  • She was one of the founder of the literary magazine, Richa and was its chief editor.

Awards and Achievements

  • Dinesh has been awarded various awards during her lifetime. Indian government awarded her with the third highest civilian award ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2006 for her contribution to literature.
  • ‘Shabnam’, her first published book earned her the Sakseria Award. She was also a recipient of Prem Chand Award.
  • She received Mahila Sasakthikaran Puraskar of the Hindi Sahitya Akademi in 2001 and Rani Durgavati University conferred a doctorate on her in 2005.
  • Delhi administration named a market at W-point, Tilak Marg as Dineshnandini Dalmia Chowk in her honor.
  • India Posts issued a commemorative stamp on her in 2009.
Stamp of Dinesh | Source: The Hindu

Dinesh Nandini Dalmia died on 25 October 2007, at the age of 79 in Delhi leaving behind her strong thoughts of wisdom through her literary works.

Do you have a feedback regarding the article? Or have something to share of your own? Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com, we would love to feature your story.

Categories
People

Meet the Ironman of Udaipur – Rishabh Jain

Rishabh Jain, a resident of Udaipur, has become the first Ironman of the entire city of Lakes – Udaipur. Rishabh is a gym operator and has been into the field of fitness from last 8-10 years. With his hard work and dedication, he has made our Udaipur proud in the entire nation.

What is Ironman 2018?

Ironman Langkawi Malaysia is an annual triathlon organized by World Triathlon Corporation which consists of three endurance activities – cycling (180 km), running (42 km) and swimming (4 km). This grueling race takes place in the month of November in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Ironman Triathlon is widely considered as one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. Every year thousands of people arrive at the event to win the title of Ironman but very few are able to achieve it.

 

The Ironman of Udaipur

Many pages of struggle, challenges, and victory were unfolded during our conversation with Rishabh. Let’s read what he has to say about his conquest.

What according to you is Ironman triathlon?

To me, Ironman is a race which doesn’t just tests your physical ability but also your mental ability. I remember the night before the race when many of the participants were going haywire with nervousness. That was the time, I realized that it’s about mental strength too. Preparing yourself to get involved in the 17-hour long race and creating the mental balance is no less than a war.

With more than 2400 participants this year, where around 50 participants were Indian, there’s one thing I can surely say that it was very tough.

How much training did you go through to become the Ironman?

The training period of mine was a mere 5 months which was way too less as Ironman requires a training of at least 1 to 1 ½ year. So it was already a challenge to me. For the entire 5 months, I completely engrossed myself in it. I was not a good swimmer or a good cyclist either, but with time and practice, I became one. I remember the struggle when I used to swim even during the winter evening and when I used to trek and run in the scorching sun of summers. Even after the muscle pain from the previous day, I had to train myself. I often thought to quit, but I think my motivation was way to bigger than that.

Now that we’re talking about the motivation, tell us what inspired you to pursue this triathlon?

Some 3-4 years back, I saw a huge picture covering the entire page of the newspaper. As I saw further, it was Milind Soman with a medal of Ironman and a big fat victorious smile on his face. Milind has always been an inspiration to me. The way he stays so fit even in this age has always worked as a catalyst for me. That was the time, I decided that for once in my life, I’ll achieve the title of Ironman.

What all challenges did you face during the race?

Well, there were several. To me, Swimming and cycling was the most difficult part of the race. I used to train in the swimming pool whereas, during the race, we had to swim in the sea where there were lots of harsh waves. And to add up to the difficulty, there arrived the thunderstorm which made several participants quit. For a moment, even I thought to quit but then I just asked myself a single question ‘Is it doable?’ The answer came yes and then there was no stopping before I reached the finish line of the swimming phase.

The second round was the cycling round. The path of cycling had an elevation of 1500 m which I wasn’t prepared about at all. So this one time, I fell down from my bicycle. I had such a harsh fall that as soon as I got up the first thing I checked was is there any serious injury in any part of my body. Luckily there wasn’t. Although, I had scratches on my entire left side, some way or the other I completed it and reached the final level which was running. After the cycling of 180 km, my legs were in tremendous pain. By the end of the race, I couldn’t really move my leg. But then I remembered what a friend of mine told me during such a situation.

He told me to tell my god that it’s only you doing it. If I win today, you win. If I lose today, you lose. And after the longest 14 hours and 29 minutes of my life, I crossed the finish line. Tears of happiness trickled down my face and I knew I have fulfilled my dream along with several others’.

We wish Rishabh all the very best for his future endeavors and to keep making our city proud.

Do you have a feedback regarding the article? Or have something to share of your own? Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com, we would love to feature your story.

Categories
People

Ashok Banthia | People from Udaipur You Should Know About

Our city – Udaipur is completely filled with beauty in and out. And this beauty is not reflected in just its history, culture and its places, but also in its people. There is some gem of the people belonging from Udaipur who, with their hard work and success, have not just made the city but the entire nation proud.

But sadly, with time we tend to forget the accomplishment of such people of the city. The series ‘People from Udaipur you should know about’ tends to glorify the journey of these famous and triumphant people from Udaipur who have become an epitome of success in their lives.

Ashok Banthia

Ashok Banthia, who is also famous by the name Ashok Bathia or Ashok Bhatia, is a Hindi film actor as well as director. Ashok was born in Udaipur in a traditional business family. In the year 1932, after earning a diploma in theatre and dramatics from Punjab University, Chandigarh, Ashok went to the National School of Drama in New Delhi followed by a course in the direction at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in Sydney.

Source: CineBee

His Achievements

As soon as he finished his courses at NIDA, he was offered to work with Kennedy Miller’s serial Bodyline, where he played the role of Indian cricketer Nawab of Pataudi Sr. The serial Bodyline set a benchmark in his life and then there was no looking back for him. He then worked for some more foreign films such as Peter Morhan’s English film ‘The Peacock Spring’, the French film ‘Indian Orchid’ and a gazillion of Hindi films too.

In the Indian film industry, Ashok has played a significant role. He has worked in several serials and films. Some of his popular film work includes Jaane Bhi do Yaaro (1983), Bedardi (1993), Mission Kashmir (2000), Aankhen (2002), 7 ½ Phere (2005), Chase (2010), Rush (2012), Cigarette Ki Tarah (2012) and his most recent and popular movie is Sonam Kapoor starrer ‘Khoobsurat’ (2014).

Ashok in film Khoobsurat | Source: qweetula.blogspot

Apart from that, his famous work in Hindi TV Serial Industry includes Balika Vadhu aired on Colors, Ramayan (2012 TV Series) aired on Zee TV, Mahadev aired on Life OK, Ramayan (2008 Series) aired on NDTV Imagine and many more. He has also worked in some theatres in the initial years of his career, some of which are Chanakya, Mohenjo-Daro, Chanakyashashtra, The Last Train, etc. He also worked as the associate director for TV Serial Tamas.

Ashok Banthiya in Chanakya | Source: Mid day

People like Ashok Banthia works as an inspiration for all the grooming artists and actors of our city. We wish him all the success in his life.

Do you have a feedback or suggestions for the article? Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com

Categories
People

Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar | People from Udaipur You Should Know About

Our city – Udaipur is completely filled with beauty in and out. And this beauty is not reflected in just its history, culture and its places, but also in its people. There is some gem of the people belonging from Udaipur who, with their hard work and success, have not just made the city but the entire nation proud.

But sadly, with time we tend to forget the accomplishment of such people of the city. The series ‘People from Udaipur you should know about’ tends to glorify the journey of these famous and triumphant people from Udaipur who have become an epitome of success in their lives.

Source: Wikipedia

Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar

Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar was born in the year 1930 in Udaipur. She was a judge as well as a human rights activist in India. She became a district and session judge at Jodhpur, Bhilwara, Ajmer, and Kota.

Apart from that, Kanta achieved many ‘firsts’ in her lifetime. She became Udaipur’s first lady Advocate, followed by being the first Lady Judge of Rajasthan in 1968. In the year 1992, Kanta became the first women to become a Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and served there for the whole year. Moreover, she became the first chairperson of the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission in the year 2000.

At the age of 81, Kanta passed away due to a heart attack on 13 August 2011 in Udaipur.

Throughout her life, Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar has empowered many women out there and gave a very powerful message to the world, that if a woman makes her mind to do something, nothing can ever stop her.

Do you have a feedback regarding the article? Or have something to share of your own? Write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com, we would love to feature your story.

Categories
People

Udaipur’s National Badminton player to make Badminton courts for underprivileged children

Some of us are lucky enough to chase our dreams and achieve our goals, whereas there are some with just as much talent, but not as privileged in terms of resources. Maybe, that’s what struck the mind of this young man from Udaipur when he decided to make the largest badminton academy in Rajasthan.

Vikramaditya Chaufla has been playing badminton since he was 11 years old. What started as a means to keep himself engaged during the evenings turned into his passion and this is what took him on a journey that is full of achievements and accolades. From being the winner of the West Zone Inter-University tournament in Surat to representing India in the World University Championship in S.Korea, Vikram is one of the only two players (With Ravi Raj Sharma) in the history of Rajasthan to achieve this feat (a record which still stands).

During this journey of his’, he was even offered a central government job but he ditched that only to come back to his own city to build a badminton academy that will specially focus on underprivileged children.

The construction of the court has already started and will be finished by February 2019. The entire project of the court is self-funded and built with the initial help of I.E.V.O. Once the academy is up and running, the training will be provided by Vikram himself and he would be accompanied by international coaches and senior players who have represented the country. Apart from a select lot of underprivileged children, who would be completely funded by Vikram and his team, other people who are interested in the sport would also be welcomed.

Vikram has a noble vision to develop a private institute comprising of a holistic sports infrastructure and supported by the best of coaches in the field as he says that are umpteen number of great players, not just in the city but also in the rural areas who are just in need of a proper sports infrastructure and the right training.

If you have any such story which you want to share with us, write to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
People

Udaipur’s Best Store for Exclusive Women’s Wear Collection at Great Prices

Cherish the handmade artistic collection of handcrafted, ethnic, organic women’s wear and International brand collection of beautiful ties, belts, gift sets, showpieces, perfumes, ladies handbags, jewelry and a lot more under one roof: Udaipur Haat. It is an exclusive store near Sajjangarh that not only serves a noble cause of Women empowerment but provides you with the best collection at reasonable rates.

As the name ‘Udaipur Haat’ suggests they focus on eliminating the middlemen. Instead of outsourcing, they contact the rural artisans, specifically women, and provide them Material, design and financial assistance, a fair deal that most of the middlemen are not able to.

 

A Welfare Initiative by the Women for the Women

They focus on highlighting the agenda of, ‘Women Empowerment via Women employment’. There are several oppressed women in India who decided to weave their freedoms by showcasing their skilled hands in manufacturing hand-crafted artefacts. Why is the state of these underprivileged women not changing? The prime cause is the unfair wages and cheap bulk buying by the middlemen.
After learning about the distressing condition of the rural crafts-woman-ship, two visionary women stepped up to help the cause of these artisans and provide a chance at a better future for them.

Knowing the Leading Ladies behind this Initiative better:

Nisha, an Entrepreneur, Humanist, Aficionado of culture & arts – director of Udaipur Haat believes that, “Women are the largest untapped resources of talent in the world”. She spent 30 years of her life overseas, during the course of which she visited around 60 countries and experienced and learnt from their art and culture.

Now she has firmly decided to encourage Indian art and support the cause of Women Empowerment in her own way. On asking her about the reason of settling back in Udaipur and supporting the cause of Women Empowerment she replied, “Life-fulfilling work is never about the money- when you feel true passion for something you instinctively find ways to nurture it”.

Why to shop from Udaipur Haat? 

Udaipur Haat gives you access to unique handcrafted pieces created by less-fortune women who chose to rotate the wheel of hard-work to sustain and improve their conditions and backup their respective families.

‘Shopping and Supporting a noble cause all together!”

Categories
People

An Interesting Conversation with the Founder of ‘Preparation For Career’ Meenakshi Bherwani Jotwani

On 23rd September 2018, PFC – Preparation For Career which is run by Meenakshi Bherwani Jotwani, celebrated the successful completion of a month. On this occasion, we had a very interesting conversation with Ms. Meenakshi about her journey. Read along to know about it.

Tell us about yourself and what do you do?

I am a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Information Systems Auditor, and India Rank holder (in my professional degrees, 2nd rank all India level in CS and all India 20th Merit in CA)

After completing my education, I worked with various Multinational companies in UAE like British Petroleum, Reedhycalog, Royal group etc. I shifted back to Udaipur and for the last 7 years, I have been working in education Industry.

Tell us about your institute?

PFC, an institute which offers degrees like ACCA – Global CA, Graduation from Oxford Brookes, a Masters from London University, CAT, DIPLOMA IN IFRS etc. Different students have different aptitudes and we offer courses on the basis of their aptitudes.

What has your journey been like?

I started teaching at an institute when I was 17 years old, my first batch was of CPT students were a few months younger to me. I was pursuing CA-Intermediate at that time. Thereafter, my corporate work experience in UAE taught me a lot about the way an education system should be, my interest in this field made me interact with people of different nationalities, different backgrounds, and different qualifications. I started conducting workshops on Mnemonic techniques (a technique which enhances your memory power), taken various seminars as a career counselor and motivational speaker.

And my interactions with students, educationalist of different nationalist made me realize that education should be Practical, Job Oriented and conceptual.

What is the current scenario of education especially the commerce stream?

Commerce in our city is viewed as a stream which has a limited number of options but on the contrary, it is actually a stream which has an amazing number of options, which are popular and available in metro cities.

The traditional options being taught by traditional methods might help students get good grades but not be sufficient for them to survive in the current job market. We need to pay more stress on practical training and we need to understand that not all students will have the aptitude/interest to become CA/CS/MBA.

How is your institute different from the rest in Udaipur? What do think makes it different?

I strongly believe that bookish knowledge will help a student get a degree and practical knowledge will help him/her fetch a Great Job, hence education at PFC is a blend of both book as well as practical knowledge. We have a technical skill room for the same where we provide our students with technical training.

Fridays: quiz and quick revision days

Saturdays: test and motivational session days where we had 100% attendance in these sessions and students of other institutes have also been attending the motivational seminars and sessions on a regular basis.

There is also a Creative Wall for the students at PFC, the idea behind the same is that number of thoughts run into our mind on a daily basis, few people jot them down while the majority tend to ignore. Over the time the wall has made us realize that all students are deep thinkers, have a creative mind, all they need is a little support and guidance to develop this into an analytical brain

Regular skill development training is conducted, which will ensure that they bag great placements after completing their education.

What are accolades or facilitation you have received up till now?

As a tutor, in past years I have been Awarded as the best faculty from

  • Times of India
  • Dainik Bhaskar
  • Rajasthan Patrika
  • Rukmani foundation
  • FINPLAN INDIA
  • Big FM
  • NAMO Vichaar Manch

In ACCA Global C, 6 students in my subject scored international merits and 2 bagged 5th world rank with 96% marks in my subject due to which I was felicitated as the best tutor by Lucia Martin, ACCA Asia Head, by Meriaki Award.

I strongly believe that credit for these awards goes to my students as in CA-CPT- Law 8 of my students scored 100% marks in law. More than 50 students have scored exemptions in CA/ CS LAW. I cannot thank them enough for sincerely following the instructions/strategies advised to them in class.

What are the different career choices a commerce student can make?

At PFC we offer unconventional courses to students like:

ACCA – Global CA, ACCA is an expert in IFRS (International financial reporting standards) and all Multinational companies maintain their accounts AS PER IFRS SYTEM and thus need ACCA’s to take care of their accounts department

ACCA’s have to Job opportunities in 182 countries including India.

Other than that, we also provide other courses like:

*Graduation from Oxford Brookes University

*Masters from London University

*GAT – Global Accounting Technician

*CAT- Certified Accounting technician

*Dip IFRS – Diploma in IFRS

*Technical Accountant – Tally, Adv excel and Cloud Computing training

*GST Expert – Practical training in GST returns

*CMA- Cost and management accountant

*Project feasibility reporting

*Digital Marketing

Your institute has completed its one month today, how does it feel?

It’s like a dream come true, where we explore and discover new things, new ideas are encouraged, the institute gives a loud and clear message that education can be way too interesting if the approach is correct

And the response of the students has been overwhelming, in this journey of one month our students and course options have multiplied many fold times and I am thankful to the students for their open-minded approach towards new career options and new teaching methods

What inspired you to come with this institution?

As a student of Udaipur city, I always felt that we had very few career options available as compared to Metro cities and therefore when as a tutor I got an opportunity to introduce some unconventional courses in Udaipur city, I grabbed it and started my own center with the name PFC – Preparation for Career.

As I believe that there is nothing like a weak and intelligent student at the end of the day it’s all about interest, every student can excel in his or her field provided he/she selects the right field as per their interest area.

What career advice would you give to the students reading this?

  • First and foremost, don’t choose something as your career option just because your friends are choosing it or your family members are asking you to choose the field.
  • Understand your aptitude/interest area, inquire about the options available their scope and their area of work/practice and then decide what you want to be, because this is one choice with which you will have to spend your entire life.
  • Will you allow a surgeon who has multiple degrees and has scored India level ranks to perform a surgery on your body if he says that this is the first ever time he will be in Operation Theatre since he never underwent any practical training till date?

The answer would be no, right? So, practical knowledge is important than theoretical knowledge.

  • Training is an indispensable part of any degree, so keep adding on to your skills as an when possible

Who is your role model?  

I have 2 sisters and no brother(s), as a father of 3 daughters my dad frequently reminded us that it’s more important for a girl to complete her education and be financially independent than a boy and I am so thankful to him for his guidance and support when It came to my education.

And the same thing has inspired me to start some social Campaign with my students wherein we teach, less privileged girls who cannot afford coaching fees, of XII STD, without any charge.

We heard you run a “donate a book” campaign. What is it?

Here, students can leave their old books on the shelves we have made in the class and those who need the same can pick from those shelves without any questions being asked.

I firmly believe that education is the only way which can help Students change their life and life of people around them. So, let’s guide them well, give them the right direction and watch them create wonders.

You can reach out to her on the given details:

Address: Ashok Nagar Main Road, Behind Fab India Show Room, Udaipur

Contact number: +91-9001010199

FB page: PFC Acca centre

Instagram: PFC ACCA

YouTube: Meenakshi PFC

Email: Meenakshipfc@gmail.com

Categories
People

Guinness World Record: 12,500 Paintings and Statues of Lord Ganesha from Udaipur

Lord Ganesha, the eliminator of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the lord of intellect and wisdom. Call whatever you may, Lord Ganesha is the most worshipped deity in Hinduism. Not only in India, but Ganesha can be found throughout Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali, Bangladesh, and Nepal too. Such is the love and faith of devotees all around the world.

While talking about the devotees, let me mention a couple from Udaipur who possess the collection of more than 12,500 paintings and statues of Lord Ganesha. Shocked, aren’t you?

Mr. Ram Kogata and Mrs. Lalita Kogata got married in 1988 and the passion for art, common hobbies and interests between both of them persuaded them to do something different. The idea of Ganesha creations struck their minds when they created a Ganesha idol for their home. This incident inspired them to study on Lord Ganesha even more.

It took both Ram and Lalita, struggle and hard work of about 30 years. And the journey wasn’t easy. Hardcore research, tying up with good artisans who would exactly shape their ideas and dreams, finance, time and most importantly support of the people around you is all part of their journey. But they believe that it is the blessings of Lord Ganesha which brought them to such heights where more than 350 artisans from a small village to award-winning artists came together and made their dreams come true.

Creation of Ganesha artistry

  • Statues – The statues of Ganesha in the collection were made of several materials which involved Gold, Silver, Sandalwood, Marble, Granite, Serpentine Stone, Precious / Semi Precious Stones, Bronze, Brass, Copper, Wrought Iron, Glass, Terracotta, Clay, Wax, Soft Toy materials etc.

 

  • Paintings of Ganesha included Miniature Paintings with Goldwork, Modern, Abstract, and GemStone, Scratch, Nail, Calligraphy, Glass Paintings, Marble Tile, Marble Plate, Oil Paintings, Inlay, Hatching, and Traditional/contemporary Paintings etc.
  • There is special Ganesha series made by the Kogata couple which consists of 1000 different paintings each depicting one of the thousand names of Lord Ganesha as per Hindu mythology. Along with that, there are some more series like Village life in India, Turbans of India, Music Instruments, Yoga, Childhood, family, Hindu marriage, etc.

Awards and Recognition

The work of Kogata couple has found its way in all the leading record books of the world for their collection of the maximum number of Ganesha statues and paintings.

  • Guinness book of world records has acknowledged their work for not once but twice in the year 2014. Limca book of records registered their record in the year 2009. Along with India book of records in 2013, Asia book of records in 2013, and unique world record book in 2013. Besides that, there are several other organizations which recognized their work and honored them for the same.
  • In 2012, Mrs. Lalita Kogata was selected for “Bhaskar Woman of the Year” in Art and Culture category.
  • At a local level, their work was honored by –
    • Maharana of Mewar Shri Arvind Singh Ji Mewar,
    • Mayor of Udaipur Ms. Rajani Dangi,
    • MLA and past MP Ms. Kiran Maheshwari,
    • UCCI
    • Udaipur Chartered Accountants’ Branch

It is rightly said ‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer’.

Do you have any such interesting story which you want to share with us, send it to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.

Categories
People

From Sindh to Mewar – A Story of Life, Struggle and Migration

Independence Day has recently enveloped us into a feeling of patriotism in and out. Obviously, it makes us feel proud that we belong to a country called India or Hindustan but behind that jolly feeling, a lot of efforts has been put. India and Pakistan was a single country before which isn’t alien to anyone. But just when we were on the verge of Independence, the country was divided into two which wrote million unheard and bitter stories in the hearts of people. And in this article, another story is going to unfold. Another story – From Sindh to Mewar.

Partition undoubtedly has led to the biggest mass migration in the history of the world. And Sindhi is one of those communities that saw the aftereffect of this migration very closely. Incidentally, I came across a man who has seen every phase of independence vividly.

Prabhudas Pahuja shared his story of struggle and Migration which left us dumbfounded. In the passage below, I have tried to capture the exact feelings and experience of Mr. Pahuja. I hope you could connect to it as much as I did.

“It all started in 1947. I was 15 years old. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to be the first Prime Minister of Independent India whereas Muhammad Ali Jinnah either wanted to be the Prime Minister or a separate country. Mahatma Gandhi never wanted this partition. He used to say that Pakistan would be formed over my dead body. And this was the beginning of all.

Source: The Express Tribune Blog

Our life at Sindh was good. There were multiple communities and we all lived like a family. Although, the majority were Muslims Hindus were more dominating. My family owned big lands, properties, retinues, flour and rice mills which were the main source of our income there.

The news of partition reached my father’s ears and we planned to migrate before the intense communal riots. We couldn’t sell our house or properties due to the act where you cannot buy or sell properties in the other country. And so my father gave our house and properties to relatives and left Sindh with Rs. 200 in the pocket. Although, there were a few highly educated people who managed to exchange lands with people in Ajmer, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Bombay and managed to encash some lands too.

Traces of migration could be seen when a large number of people were traveling to different parts of the other country via ships, planes, and trains. People from Sindh started moving towards a completely new land. For once, we thought that this migration would be temporary and that we’ll return to our motherland as soon as the situations get better. Little did we know that destiny had something else planned for us.

Source: Quartz

I was scared in this entire journey from Sindh to Udaipur. After all, situations were such that a little spark could get everything on fire. I palpably remember the images of riots in the train, when even women’s parts were cut down to pieces. But luckily our train went straight from Jacobabad to Hyderabad to Bombay and finally to Udaipur.

The first preference of all the Sindhi migrants was Udaipur. The images of Maharani Meera and Maharana Pratap used to flash in front of our eyes whenever we thought about Udaipur. Pratap was a man who protected Hindu culture so much, who sacrificed his lives for others. At land of people like such, we knew we were safe. And it turned out to be true.

People in Udaipur were very supportive. The king, Maharana Bhopal Singh Ji was too kind. He arranged a stay for us at several places like Oswal Bhawan, Panchayati Nohra, MB College, BN College, etc. We came here as mere refugees. We weren’t much talented or educated so my father and we had to start everything from scratch. I studied till 8th standard in Sindh and even that was too much back then. It was when I came to Udaipur, I resumed my studies, learned some basic Hindi at Vidyapeeth.

Source: Team-BHP

Meanwhile, I gave some money to a soap maker and learned soap making from him. I used to deliver soaps to Bhuvana, Sisarma, which were villages back then, on a rented cycle. I got married in 1951. I and my wife rented a room in just Rs 15 a month where we both started soap making. You won’t believe that everything was so cheap that our expenditure for a day was Rs. 2.

The government helped us with land and properties too but I guess destiny didn’t want that and major part of land got stuck somewhere in politics and mediators. Although I feel life is better here, the environment is suitable but our community has struggled a lot. It is not easy to leave one’s motherland and shift to some strange place. Gujarat got a bit of Gujarat, Maharashtra got a piece of land too and so did Punjab. But it was just Sindhis who weren’t offered even 5 acres of land and had to scatter in the entire country. I still want Sindh to get reunited in India.

My wife has supported me sternly in my thick and thin. Women in our community have shown great courage. Society says that women are fragile and delicate but I think when hard time comes, these women become warriors.

Source: CNN

Gradually, situations got better, I bought my own cycle, motorcycle, car, house. I got involved in social works later on. Today, a lot of Sindhis are into charity. Maybe that’s because they’ve seen the hardships life has to offer from very close. They have seen what it feels like to not have a shelter above your head or a bite of food in your mouth.

But I feel negative situations arise for your own compatibility. Today I am happy and satisfied. My grandsons and granddaughters are pursuing CA and MBA from Switzerland and London. And that soap making business I told you about? That is being managed by my grandson. He has earned 10 times more than me. I think it’s the destiny that decides everything. In fact, the fact that you met me was planned by destiny too.”

The entire episode of flashback brought a teary eye to 86 year old Prabhudas Pahuja. But like they say ‘Everything happens for a reason’.

Did you like the story? Share your feedback with us in the comment section below. If you have any story of your own which you want to share with the world, send it to me at juhee@udaipurblog.com.