Bliss-Girls

In this post, I would like to introduce Deepa. My association with Deepa goes back to the days when I started my career in IT. She was my senior and we travelled to work in the same bus. There is a lot I learnt and still continue to learn from her. She is a multifaceted woman with a passion for exploring her creative side. Her enthusiasm for dance and crafts are contagious. She is very grounded and approachable. Join me as I delve deeper into the world of this talented woman and discover the secrets of her creative success.

Born in Harihara and raised in Bangalore, She is the second daughter of Krishna Kengond and Sowbhagya. Her parents are from north Karnataka. Her childhood memories is that of playing on streets with marbles and lagori with her friends. She also has an older sister, Roopa and a younger brother, Sanjay. She is married to her childhood friend, Ashok and they have a lovely little princess, Aisiri.

Since young age, Deepa had an inclination for dancing and participated in school annual events. During her pre-university and Engineering days too she took part in a number of the cultural events organized by the university.

Apart from her love for dancing she has a deep-seated passion for four other streams – NGO work, Crafts, Yoga and Gardening.

NGO – Shrigandha Foundation

Deepa has been associated with Shrigandha Kannada Balaga since 2012. This group was started by Anjan Kumar H G and later in 2021 was registered as NGO and renamed Shrigandha foundation.

Shrigandha foundation works on promoting Kannada culture by organizing various cultural events. They also have social initiatives like notebook drive, Green thumb initiative, upbuilding skills in school going children in Rural Karnataka.

Skill building and Vidya Mitra are the two initiatives that are very close to her heart. Through skill development program, free trainings are provided to rural children on various subjects. This not only enables children to pursue lucrative careers but also promotes confidence and seeds adaptability.

Vidya Mitra is an initiative where a mentor is assigned to each student- who has received a scholarship from Shrigandha foundation. The role of the mentor is to guide and help them advance in their studies. Last year Deepa was mentoring a girl who is now pursuing her Engineering.

If you are residing in Karnataka and would like to work on some of their Initiatives please reach out to Deepa on her email deepakengond@gmail.com or support@shrighandafoundation.org

Arts and Crafts

Crafting is a go-to-stress reliver for Deepa. She loves sketching and painting. Although not formally trained, art comes to her naturally. She spends her free time creating masterpieces. Gifting handcrafted artwork to her friends is something that she is very proud of. And those who receive her handcrafted work are happy.

Deepa has also keen interest on jewellery making and has taken classes on terracotta jewellery.

Yoga

Deepa is a morning person and starts her day by practicing yoga. She practices for an hour starting at 6 a.m. She says it not only helps her stay fit but also energizes her to do anything during the day.

She began learning yoga in 2011 when she had a personal incident. She slipped into a silent zone. With encouragement from her husband, Ashok, she started yoga and a few years later in 2014 she took Zumba classes. Both these helped her regain happiness in her life.

I asked her what motivates her to do yoga everyday and she gave an honest answer. She said there are times when she is not motivated and that it’s normal for any human. But as long as one takes a break and resumes the practice, they are on right track.

Gardening

After seeing her friend Praji Sara Thomas’s beautiful garden, Deepa was inspired to take up gardening herself. She has a vide variety of succulents, flowers and a few veggies in her garden.

Deepa is eager to learn more about gardening, and she’s constantly seeking out new tips and techniques to improve her skills. She and her friends have their own WhatsApp group dedicated to share knowledge and discuss gardening techniques.

PS: For a long time I had wondered where she got her energy from and who inspires her. I got my answers while interviewing her for this article. And her answer – Family.

Another beautiful tip I received from her about staying cheerful is that one must look forward to events in near future and be excited about them. Find happiness in little things. Everyone, by design, knows internally how to find happiness within themselves, and it only takes little effort to realise that and put it into practice.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post. Thanks to Deepa for sharing her Journey.