Categories
Featured Social

Inspiring Women from Udaipur Breaking Stereotypes – Women’s Day Special

Happy International Women’s Day to all the ladies out there!

March 08, International Women’s Day, is recognised to celebrate women’s achievements in every niche and field across the world. Certainly, every woman has made a difference in the world by their selfless contribution. Whether it is Science, Literature, Politics, Hospitality, or Technology, women have gone to extreme lengths to challenge society, which is, in every sense brimming with stereotypes. The word feminism is often misunderstood, and let me enlighten you, feminists do not hate men! Rather, it is about supporting a world where both men and women receive equal opportunities or, say, treated equally. Do feminists want to dominate men? NO! I am a feminist, and I feel my heart would stop beating for a second when I see Hrithik Roshan’s pictures on the internet; why on earth would we hate men?

So, this International Women’s Day, we thought we would give a shout out to the women of Udaipur that have incredibly inspired us in one way or another. Their story is no different than any other little girl, who perhaps wants to break the so-called stereotypes and do something of their own.

Even in the 21st century, there are a lot of stereotypes and barriers women face. On the advent of International Women’s Day, UdaipurBlog brings you a series where we invite women from the city who have broken stereotypes and are a source of inspiration for many.

1. Hitanshi Sharma, Councillor

Being a Politician while carrying on with life as a mother, daughter, and wife is not everyone’s cup of tea. Well, Hitanshi here has done a tremendous job, despite the challenges one has to face to survive in the political world. She is a Councillor (Parshad) of ward 62 in Udaipur and tries her best hand to make this city a better place for us. She is bold, has a strong voice and opinion about how things should be in the long run. To be a Politician was never a plan, but when the opportunity came to her, she grabbed it without a second thought and marvelled at the same.

In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her journey of becoming a Councillor.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwF1EMg3SJs]

2. Smriti Kedia, CEO – Sadhna

The word “Simple” doesn’t exist in her dictionary; thereby, she is a firm believer in hard work and no shortcuts. Smriti Kedia currently became the CEO of Sadhna and has been a true inspiration and a catalyst for social change in Udaipur and beyond. She doesn’t come from a family originally associated with Social Work. Smriti has subtly reminded us that bringing equality, and empowering women is nothing but simple. Keeping the legacy alive, Smriti is working for women development in Udaipur’s rural, tribal, and urban slum belts. According to her, Feminism is about understanding and acknowledging the power or importance of women in our society. Smriti considers herself fortunate to be surrounded by women artisans on a daily basis, who are a true inspiration in themselves.

In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her journey of becoming the CEO of Sadhna.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnT0wnKk7ks]

3. Saumya Luthra, Architect

Do you also paint an image of a man when you hear the word Architect? For you to change that image, we have called upon Saumya Luthra. She is an Architect based in Udaipur and has shown that it is not only a man’s job to build and design a strong establishment. Saumya has opted for a field, which is mostly recognised as a man’s ground, and has excelled despite the challenges! It is a story of being independent and continuing a journey towards an unconventional career.

In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her journey of becoming an Architect.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn7NlmnSpIg]

4. Dolly Taldar, Hotelier

When asked by her teacher, what does she wants to become? Her answer was pretty easy and quick – “I want to become a successful Hotelier.” Meet Dolly Taldar, Director of Ramada Resort and Spa, Udaipur and know about her journey of becoming a boss lady! She is in the hospitality industry for a long time and is looking after an up-and-coming business. According to Dolly, gender biases comes quite naturally to people, especially when you belong to a small town. However, gender doesn’t impact your knowledge and capabilities, and with your skills, you can always make your name in the market.

In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her journey of becoming a successful hotelier.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKdw4_4PA58]

5. Miti Godawat, Pilot

Enlightening us on her journey of becoming a Pilot, Miti Godawat speaks about how she still gets to hear about the myths associated with marriage and working women in our society. An inspiration for many in Udaipur and beyond, Miti Godawat is recognized for her unmatchable passion for becoming a Pilot. There came a time when she was told that getting married will be the most useful thing she can do, which we all know didn’t happen to be the case! Fulfilling her father’s dream, Miti is now a Commercial Pilot for Indigo Airlines.

In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her journey of becoming a Commercial Pilot.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GNF-9A2Uf0]

6. Bonita Singh Rajpurohit, Miss Transqueen Runner-up, Co-founder of two ventures

Being Transgender is not merely an issue of gender rights; it is also a matter of equality and human rights. We have had the pleasure to meet one such transwoman from Udaipur, Bonita Singh Rajpurohit. The stereotypes about embracing the trans community are full of smoke and mirrors, and sadly the smoke is so thick that one cannot cope with the hurt they have to endure to achieve the ulterior motives. Despite all the hurt comments, Bonita was up and running in the fashion industry. She has been awarded as the second Runner-up of Miss Trans Queen India 2019 and is also a Co-founder of two ventures: DurtyFits and Durt Studio.

Bonita Singh Rajpurohit is someone who came forward as a Trans individual and thrived in the modelling and fashion Industry. In this episode of the Women’s Day feature series, UB a Woman, let’s hear out her story of breaking every stereotype about the Transgender Community.

Know about her better through this video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szNWvri28LQ]

 

These were some Unheard Stories about the empowering women of Udaipur. This series is powered by Mokaya, a woman-operated bakery & patisserie. If you are aware of more such women, let us know in the comments, so that we can bring a second part to this series soon.

Categories
Udaipur Speaks

Father – Every Child’s First Superhero (Stories from Udaipur)

The word father does not require any introduction. He is the savior who never asks for a favor but, completes his duty just by sensing our existence in the mother’s womb. That’s why it’s well said, “Some superheroes don’t have capes…They are called DAD.” For every child, father is the first superhero that he/she has ever been with from birth. No wonder mother’s are sweet but for many, especially daughters, daddies are more adorable in spite of their strict but protective nature. In some or the other way, many of us forget that what our Father’s have done for us. They are not just responsible for our birth but, they have also nourished us to grow every single day, learn new things, and take a stand to face the problems of our life.

fathers of udaipur
That is why all the daddies deserve the celebration which is specially meant for them. On this lovely occasion of Father’s day, UdaipurBlog decided to cover up the few people who have touched the heights of success with their self-struggle and of course with the support of their father’s. And, no wonder these people have done well on their level to turn dreams into reality and to make their dad’s proud.

 

Pritum Suthar (IIT Bombay)

Pritum Suthar

He never forced me to do things he liked but, to do what I like.” The words of Pritum Suthar were heartwarming for his father. Mr. Panna Lal Suthar, who is in the ancestral business and working as a contractor in PWD since 4-5 years.
Pritum’s father always encouraged each and every step of him. When we asked him about his father, he came up with something straight from his heart and exclaimed, “Being less formally educated and working in carpenter’s profession, he never forced me into the family trade which most of the father’s do in Suthar community in my village (mada, near Gogunda). (It is general trend that after completing 10th or maybe 12th join the ancestral profession and earn). My father stood out of it and helped me realize his dream of doing something which makes my village proud. Today whatever I am, whatever I do is all because of his constant support.

 

Princess Bhargavi Kumari Mewar (Aashka – The Lifestyle Boutique)

Princess Bhargavi Kumari Mewar

Bhargavi Kumari Mewar tells us how her father Shriji Arvind Singh Ji Mewar, 76th Custodian of the House of Mewar has nurtured, encouraged and mentored her in pursuing her goals and life as a whole. The bond of this duo surprised us that in spite of being so busy with the schedules, they do spend quality time together.
When we asked her to explain the relationship with her father, she shared with us some deep thoughts and emotions – stating, “I feel incredibly blessed to have a father who has not only taught by example but has invested the time to involve me in the process; so these lessons – become experiences. A likely and reliable source to draw from in the future.” She also added, “The greatest thing that has helped propel me both personally and professionally has been my father’s absolute unflinching belief in me. Blessed to call him ‘Da.

 

Shubham Purohit (Co-owner Chaifeteria)

Shubham Purohit

Dad’s cannot be surprising than this when they support the idea of a street stall set up by their child. That’s the irony we saw in Shubh’s dad Mr. ML Purohit, who started working as newspaper hawker and now owns a wholesome agency in Udaipur.
Shubham expressed heartedly for his daddy with a sweet smile, “He is still connected to his roots and values, and has always taught me the same. Two Years back when I decided to start Chaifeteria (tea stall) he was the first person to come in support of the idea, he told that in business a man has to try more than 10 ideas, and one of it will be the reason for success, so never give up on trial. He has taught me many things in life that proved my real worth.

Miti Godawat (Pilot: Commercial License Holder)

Miti godawat

Being a girl child, belonging to a small town and having a dream to fly a plane can be challenging for many parents to handle. But, for Miti’s dad, the dream of his daughter became a top priority. And, this is what Miti Godawat expressed about her amazing father, “I am a proud daughter of a proud dad. He has been my pillar forever, who gave birth to the confident and independent me. From traveling 7 seas across to deal with government officials alone he has always given me motivation. He is my business and financial advisor who looks upon my ideas and considers them. Most of it, my idol when it comes to facing the world bravely to conquer your dreams. I wish to fulfill his dream of seeing me on that right seat in the cockpit soon”.

 

Karan Agrawal (Director: vSupport and SpicySigdi)

Karan Agarwal

“My hero, my friend, my mentor, my father!” with a sweet gesture the warm feelings of Mr. Karan Agrawal came over at once. Belonging to a traditional Agrawal family, he too had to bear the burden of household expectations to take over his father footsteps and handle the ancestral business. But, his father’s encouragement in his life is worth knowing. He stated, “My Papa extended his constant support when I started a BPO five years back along with an online food delivery business and today when it’s established I have another baby in my lap. Helping my dad in his marble business shall be a priority throughout but pursuing my business dreams have given me my self-confidence and a self-identity. I owe this to him – My Dad…“.

 

Kavita Sharma Joshi (Sarpanch Shobhagpura)

Kavita Sharma Joshi

We can entitle her as superwoman Mrs. Kavita Sharma Joshi, who is an engineer, a Sarpanch as well as a mother. And, behind her success and achievements she stated her father like this, “He played a very inspiring role in my life. My dad boosted me to complete my engineering in electronics. During this period, I got married as well and continued the graduation. After studies, I joined Secure Meters as a Hardware Engineer. During my pregnancy, when I was nominated for Sarpanch of Shobhagpura it was tough to cope up. But, by the grace of God we won the election & at the same time I was blessed with baby boy. Driving to the responsibilities as a Sarpanch of my block and mother too, I took a decision to quit from secure meters. The news was shocking for my father as it was his dream to see me as an engineer. But, he understood my situation and encouraged for everything.

 

Dr. Shailendra Somani (Director: MDS. Sr. Sec. School)

Dr. Shailendra Somani

Giving a height to the dream of setting up a school in the memories of grandmother and being a constant beacon of inspiration relies on Dr. Ramesh Chandra Somani, father of Dr. Shailendra Somani. When there was a slight conversation about his dad, he said, “His life has been an example of resilience, application of mind and determination. He always strived to give the best resource and education to his kids. He continues to set an example for us by his disciplined hard work every day at the age of 68. His ethos and work ethic have been a great inspiration and influence on MDS institution and me. We are blessed by his presence and wish him good health so that he can continue to guide us.

 

Raksha Pokharna (Owner: Queen’s Boutique)

Raksha Pokharna

Successful fashion designer, a diva, and mom of two sweet little kids, Raksha Pokharna, defined her father in a very simple way and expressed us that, “My dad as a person with high spirits never let me give up just because I’m a girl. He always stood up for me and my decisions even for my life’s most important decision whether it was a career, business, or marriage. When I gave a kick start to my venture Queen’s Boutique and received “Arvana Queen’s Award” for budding business woman. The most mesmerizing moments were the appreciation of my father. Thanks to Almighty who blessed me world’s best papa!!
Last but not the least, I want to thank My Sweet Daddy Mr. Vijay Kumar Khaturia (Co-Owner: Vasudev Dudh Bhandar) for blessing such a great life and supporting my profession of the writer in spite of being less educated.

Kajal Walwani

 

He cultivated me to this level that I can contribute my another family “UdaipurBlog”. A very heartily wishes to all the fathers in the world….”Happy Father’s Day” stay encouraging to your kid’s daddies.

Categories
People

Miti Godawat – Flying With The Clouds

Miti Godawat another feather to udaipur’s cap, shares her experience and success mantra with UdaipurBlog.

In Conversation With Miti Godawat

UB : As everybody is aware of your schooling from The Study,udaipur. Our readers are eager to know that after 12th what was your next step ?

Miti : After my 12th  I gave few competitive exams just to know and gain experience on how things are like, I even got through IIT but I knew my aim and was totally different. I started looking  for flying schools in abroad. I had many options like Australia,USA, New Zealand but I opted for Canada because of the quality and effective  training it offers and also the exposure one gets there. There you have value of life. I even had to do two medicals in India namely class 2 and class 1 which I did in Mumbai and Delhi respectively. Meanwhile I chose Canada and applied for it. After completing all the government and personal  formalities I flew for  Canada on 19 July, 2009 as soon as I turned 17.

 

UB : What inspired you to take up this field?

Miti : Becoming a pilot was my dad’s dream, this was the first thing that came up into his mind when he saw me playing with planes rather than Barbie dolls. As a child I was always fascinated by planes, whenever I use to travel, cockpit was the first place I use to hit, I loved the technology and the glorious uniform they put on with due respect. I even tried for air force but my height issue caught me back.

 

UB : What changes you find in your personality?

Miti : The ‘Miti’ which I was before has totally been reformed after being  there for almost 2 and a half years. My confidence has boosted up by leaps and bounds, I am totally independent and carefree now. My perspective for a lot of things has totally changed in a positive manner.

 

UB : Any challenge you can say the most dangerous one when you felt ‘cold feet’?

Miti : I had quiet few challenges but trust me I never felt cold feet till date because of the confidence and faith in blessings and prayers.There have been many incidences – Once I had to make an emergency landing, once was stuck up in bad weather and had to divert to another airport. Once I was approaching towards the land  and another aircraft took off before me it was totally unnoticed and there was hardly any vertical separation between us. All these incidences made me more confident. I never had fear of crashing because I trusted my skills, if it is not for any airport I will surely make a hard landing in a field because we are trained the same way to handle the worst case scenarios.

 

UB: How was your stay in Canada?

Miti : My stay in Canada was great, the things I got to learn there I doubt I would have ever got anywhere else. The fast life out there made me faster.  I enjoyed the cuisines,  Canadian culture and the festivals.

 

UB : What are your plans for the near future? How are you planning to carry on your professional life?

Miti : As of now I am working on the conversion of Canadian to Indian license. My plan is to get more experiences on different type of air arts and go ahead for a job .

 

UB: Who is your idol ? What effect did he/she has on your life?

Miti: My idols are my parents, grand mom and my best friend as they all in some or other way share same qualities of inspiring people, they believe in giving rather than taking, they believe in hard work, their honesty and dedication towards their work made me praise them. The positive attitude they carry for life is worth a big salute.

 

UB : You made ‘Udaipur’ proud, you made your Parents and your friends proud. But which was the moment that made YOU feel proud?

Miti : The best moment was when I heard  ” Congratulations Captain You Did it” and second best was giving this surprise to my dear ones as none of them knew I had my exam. These small  yet priceless moments were beyond imagination.

 

UB : Any message you would  like to convey to Udaipurites, especially girls?

Miti : Don’t walk in Crowd, make your own identity, you are born to lead your life, it’s not on rent have courage to face situations, never give up and you’ll achieve success and subside those who think girls are born to stay at home.

 

UB : If ‘Miti’ was not a pilot, what would she be ?

Miti : If I wouldn’t have been a pilot I would have opted for aircraft interior designing or something creative as I love to be creative and enjoy being ‘artisty’.

 

UB : Being a girl you chose this field, a field that would even frighten up men, what do you have to say about it?

Miti : Yes I chose and I came up. Being a girl things are different but I would say it’s our own mentality which makes us feel low. I would say don’t think you are a girl or boy just focus on your work and automatically things will work out and if you faith and confidence in yourself nothing can stop you .

 

UB : Your Views on UdaipurBlog.com

Miti : You guys came up with an excellent idea, being there using all technology. I used to think even udaipur should have some website in which all the information can be found in seconds and on one page and then I saw this blog. Great job! All information, news and updates are so helpful. This makes me feel home away from home and keeps me updated.

miti godawat

 

Article By : Smriti Goyal