Name: Varuna Anand
Age: 47 years
City: Jammu/ J&K
Occupation: Entrepreneur
ST: Please tell us briefly about you.
Varuna: I am born and brought up in New Delhi
and have done my schooling from Delhi Public School, Mathura Road and was a
commerce student. I always had a penchant for design, I did not see myself attracted to Fashion designing or designing
clothes and outfits really but something about Textiles lured me. So after that I did a 3 years Diploma in
Textile Designing, which was recognised by the Board of Vocational Studies from
the New Delhi Poly technique in New Delhi.
and have done my schooling from Delhi Public School, Mathura Road and was a
commerce student. I always had a penchant for design, I did not see myself attracted to Fashion designing or designing
clothes and outfits really but something about Textiles lured me. So after that I did a 3 years Diploma in
Textile Designing, which was recognised by the Board of Vocational Studies from
the New Delhi Poly technique in New Delhi.
I come from a business background, I would say my affiliation to business and textiles both could
be a subconscious attraction, hearing glorious tales of my grandfather Bawa
Gurmukh Singh ji. The Splendor
of Kashmir by Varuna Anand was started for me in the year 2011 by my
late husband Mr. Parveen Anand, keeping in mind his love for his state and my
love for Textiles. Dr. Farooq Abdullah
launched my first exhibition in New Delhi in November of 2011 at The Claridges Hotel. I came to the
state of Jammu & Kashmir by virtue of my marriage to Mr. Parveen Anand. It
is only after I came to this state, I realised the difference of the shawls
women wore here and what were sold to us living in Delhi. However, I was most
reluctant to get back to any kind of work and was complacent being a house wife
and enjoying my role of a mother of 2 little girls. It was the push and drive
of my husband who forced me to wake up from this sabbatical and start with some
work again.
be a subconscious attraction, hearing glorious tales of my grandfather Bawa
Gurmukh Singh ji. The Splendor
of Kashmir by Varuna Anand was started for me in the year 2011 by my
late husband Mr. Parveen Anand, keeping in mind his love for his state and my
love for Textiles. Dr. Farooq Abdullah
launched my first exhibition in New Delhi in November of 2011 at The Claridges Hotel. I came to the
state of Jammu & Kashmir by virtue of my marriage to Mr. Parveen Anand. It
is only after I came to this state, I realised the difference of the shawls
women wore here and what were sold to us living in Delhi. However, I was most
reluctant to get back to any kind of work and was complacent being a house wife
and enjoying my role of a mother of 2 little girls. It was the push and drive
of my husband who forced me to wake up from this sabbatical and start with some
work again.
Perhaps it was a certain potential he
would see in me and this was his way of giving back to his home state by
promoting the largest cottage industry of the state, which virtually gives
employment to over 3 lakh plus people in the valley. The unfortunate sudden
passing away of my husband in October 2012 harnessed certain strength in me to
push The
Splendor of Kashmir further and start carrying it to cities across
India. My website for online sales was started in 2014 and this gave me a
larger platform to reach my overseas clients.
would see in me and this was his way of giving back to his home state by
promoting the largest cottage industry of the state, which virtually gives
employment to over 3 lakh plus people in the valley. The unfortunate sudden
passing away of my husband in October 2012 harnessed certain strength in me to
push The
Splendor of Kashmir further and start carrying it to cities across
India. My website for online sales was started in 2014 and this gave me a
larger platform to reach my overseas clients.
ST: Who is a woman that inspires you the
most and why?
most and why?
Varuna:
I remember as a young girl reading an article in the
Femina magazine on Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, inspiring stories such as these really
touched my heart and gave me the motivation to do something and be able to make a difference in whatever
little way I can in society too.
I remember as a young girl reading an article in the
Femina magazine on Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, inspiring stories such as these really
touched my heart and gave me the motivation to do something and be able to make a difference in whatever
little way I can in society too.
ST: How are you celebrating this year’s
International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day?
Varuna:
Women very often undermine their potential and need
to be made to realise their strength. Very often in our society a women gets
casted into a stereotype role, which often takes away her confidence. I believe
women must break these shakles and fight for her basic rights. For this it is
very important to make every women understand and realise her strengths. It’s
not just one day in a year this needs to be preached but a constant endeavour
to create more and more realisation.
Women very often undermine their potential and need
to be made to realise their strength. Very often in our society a women gets
casted into a stereotype role, which often takes away her confidence. I believe
women must break these shakles and fight for her basic rights. For this it is
very important to make every women understand and realise her strengths. It’s
not just one day in a year this needs to be preached but a constant endeavour
to create more and more realisation.
ST: What is the most important message
you want to send out to all the women around the world on this occasion?
you want to send out to all the women around the world on this occasion?
Varuna:
I would like to tell all women to recognise the
potential they silently harness inside them, have faith in themselves and their
abilities and follow their dreams.
I would like to tell all women to recognise the
potential they silently harness inside them, have faith in themselves and their
abilities and follow their dreams.
ST: What according to you is ‘women
empowerment’?
empowerment’?
Varuna:
The Ability of women to be able to think for herself
and be able to take every important decision in her life with freedom and no
restriction, which enables her to follow her heart & her dreams…is
women empowerment to me.
The Ability of women to be able to think for herself
and be able to take every important decision in her life with freedom and no
restriction, which enables her to follow her heart & her dreams…is
women empowerment to me.
ST: What would you say are the main
challenges facing women at present in India?
challenges facing women at present in India?
Varuna:
Social and Family pressures bog down a women the
most in our society and country. The do’s and don’t are so prevalent that a
large amount of women loose themselves to this tussle, thereby throwing away
their own dreams, desires and aspirations. We are raising our daughters with a
more independent mind set yet expect them to live in and fit in the traditional
and cultural mould of society.
Social and Family pressures bog down a women the
most in our society and country. The do’s and don’t are so prevalent that a
large amount of women loose themselves to this tussle, thereby throwing away
their own dreams, desires and aspirations. We are raising our daughters with a
more independent mind set yet expect them to live in and fit in the traditional
and cultural mould of society.
ST: Where do you want to see yourself in
next 5 years?
next 5 years?
Varuna:
I have seen life as very unpredictable, so really
don’t set too many goals for myself but I do hope to benefit more and more
craftsmen from the valley by taking their work to the correct audience and
admirers of this Art. It gives more and more craftsmen a reason to create more
such pieces of Art.
I have seen life as very unpredictable, so really
don’t set too many goals for myself but I do hope to benefit more and more
craftsmen from the valley by taking their work to the correct audience and
admirers of this Art. It gives more and more craftsmen a reason to create more
such pieces of Art.
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| Varuna Anand |
