The Women’s Hub

Ravia Gupta
Do you love the way you are succumbing to the increasing pressures of life? Is your creativity breathing, alive or even growing old enough with you? Does your life revolve around just home, husband, kids, work and not to forget a monthly kitty party? If the answer to all the questions is a big YES, then it’s time you “move on” and join something “out-of-the-box.” Now, here comes the next big challenge-where to find such a rejuvenating place, especially in a city like ours, which is still struggling to spread its wings and accepting women in different roles!
Traditionally, women in India, especially in J&K,lived behind a veil, but, with changing times, women have started playing a dominant role in our society and besides just “serving”, they now have started thinking about themselves too. However, despite modernisation and “enlightment”there are still some women who remain at home and for them spending time has becomequite a boring affair.But not anymore, thanks to a small initiative, taken almost a year ago in March 2014, by a young mompreneur Kriti Punit Agarwal,from Ludhiana, who with a group of around 60 like-minded, creative women,have decided to live their dreams under the umbrella “The Women’s Hub” and giving a platform to their creativity by holding an annual funfair exhibition”Anandotsav Mela” in the month of October, markingthe start of festival season.
This day-long event showcases stalls of jewellery, clothing, bakery products, paintings, gift packing, chocolates,decorative festive items, besides food stalls, tambola, mehandi and bangle stalls from Jaipur.
Often said that care is the middle name for women, these ladies too are contributing their bit towards the marginalised and the needy by providing various useful items like woollen clothing, food products and other refreshments at Aangan, an evening school for the needy working children, Balgram,Old Age Home, Amphalla, Bal Niketan, etc to name a few.
For these women, who mostly belong to business families, the club offers them with a varied choices for not just enjoying every big and small moments of life, but also gives them an opportunity to creatively bond with their kids by way of mom kiddo picnics, participating in sports activities like playing carrom, ludo, kho kho, relay race, lemon spoon race, three-legged race, ball bingo etc.While some take part in the events on stage, the others enjoy watching them. But, celebrating the festivals is the high point of the club, for it not just lightens up their mood, but alsohelps inkeeping alive Indian traditions in this modern era.Be it Holi, Diwali, Baisakhi, Karwachauth or Eid, festivals of all religions are celebrated with colour and gaiety.
According to a club member, “It’s a great platform, which is providing quite a breather for young working and non-working women in Jammu. We not only learn a lot of things, but also get an opportunity to hone our potential talents.”
There’s no doubt that the city has a lot of potential and is crawling towards women club culture. Ludhiana,may be having about 90 Women clubs today, but that’s not a scary number for Kriti, who along with her dynamic group members, is quite confident of making it large one day and firmly believes that “Manzileein mil hi jaengi, bhatakte hi sahi. Gumrah tohwoh hain jo ghar se nikle hi nahi..”

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