Women across the world, especially India, are still striving for gender equality. Some courageous women have managed to carve a niche for themselves in spite of various obstacles
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women. Gender equality is something women across the world, especially India, are still striving to achieve. However, many women have managed to break the glass ceiling and have carved a niche for themselves. Orissa POST interacted with few such achievers who have stood apart in the crowd with their creativity and courage.
Meenal Singh Deo the Royal Princess of Dhenkanal is an eminent fashion designer cum reviver of old handicrafts like Dhokra. Interacting with Orissa POST she said, “From the age of 12 I was attracted to ethnic wear, local Handlooms. I was brought up in princely family of Wankaner in Gujarat but was married into the royal family of Dhenkanal. I found Odisha to be a paradise of Handlooms. I am a natural artist who wants to work with pattachitra and in Nuapatna I work with weavers. It takes a month to complete a saree. Coming from a royal family doesn’t stop me from evolving myself as a creative person.’
Minaketan was started by Meenal Kumari Singh Deo as a small endeavour to encourage the traditional crafts of Odisha and Dhenkanal by giving it a contemporary appeal and more utility which suits today’s lifestyle. Be it the brassware or Dhokra made by using lost wax technique dating back to the Indus valley civilization, the pattachitra paintings on sarees, dupattas and batuas, Singh Deo strives to keep the age-old traditions of Odisha alive.
The family resides in Dhenkanal and has had close association with the people for the last seventeen generations. They now run their 200-year-old palace as a heritage homestay. Her recent collection was showcased by CDS foundation by founder Asif Sheikh who also revives hand woven fabrics. She showcased her work in ‘Walking Hand in Hand’ fashion show in Baroda and later in Delhi that was based on pattachitra, woven ikkat and dokhra jewellery. Her hard work as a creative person has estabilished her as an fashion designer and reviver of old handicrafts.
Kanak Lata Das is an eminent Jau Kandhei maker who works at Kosambar Nagar of Balasore from the year 2005. “The tough part is to balance both work and family and it’s tough to arrange materials like jau, wooden charcoal and special chikta soil specially meant for toy and idol making. It takes eight days for the soil to dry up and be used in toy-making. Then, I then burn it for 5 hours at the bhhati. The colours are applied thereafter. I earn around Rs 15,000 per month and at times I earn more than Rs 2 lakh per annum, which is a great thing. I have chosen to work on this because this is a dying art and it helps me cultivate my creativity.
Barsha Das is the famous Jhoti queen of Balasore who has started her career from the age of 6 years. The colourful motifs of rangolis always attracted her and she spends hours in perfecting them. “I have a small daughter and imagine my plight when I have to put in long hours. My passion for Jhoti has pushed me and my husband encourages me too. I am not only an artist, but also a proud mother, wife and daughter. All I can say is passion and dedication always makes women better in their craft.”
Swati Mohapatra is an entrepreneur-cum- female landscape photographer who is famous for her solo photography ‘A Rendezvous with Nature’ at Lalit Kala Akademi. She successfully runs her company that makes bio fertilisers. “I have faced many physical challenges for landscape photographs. My husband has helped me besides my late parents. I also faced discrimination when I started photography. I got stared at when I am on on the streets with my camera. The people in our state are not very supportive of a woman working behind the lens. However, my passion and diligence made me stick to photography.”
Chaitali Shome,OP
