SEPTEMBER 2021
INSIDE
A MAYOR BOOST FOR LOS ALTOS HILLS
PLUS
DAYS AND NIGHTS IN VARANASI
POLITICS, IDENTITY AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
A SURVIVOR’S TALE
PUMPED UP ABOUT PUMPKIN
THE REMARKABLE RISE OF
NIVRUTI RAI INTEL’S INDIA HEAD
Sweta Vikram page 74
Amrita Deora page 20
Pumped Up Aboout Pumpkin page 66
CONTENTS
5
CONTRIBUTORS BEYOND LIMITS
PIONEERS
6
A Mayor Boost for
Los Altos Hills
10 Politics, Identity and
the American Dream
14 ‘Being Born in India,
STYLE
40 Fall Fashion Lookbook
With South Asian Brands
FEATURES
46 Color Me Happy
HOROSCOPE
78 Forecast With Farzana
SEEMA RECOMMENDS
80 The SEEMA Summer
Reads Guide
TRAVEL
ON THE COVER
50 A Multifaceted City 54 Days and Nights in Varanasi
FOOD
The Remarkable Rise of Nivruti Rai
24 The Quartet That Cures
Pumpkin
30
ENTREPRENEUR
BOOKS
It’s in My Blood to Love
Textiles and Colors’
20 Heart for Art
66 Pumped up About
36 The Relationship
70 Living Her Dream
Chemistry
74 A Survivor’s Tale
PHOTO CREDIT: INTEL INDIA
4
PIONEER | SEEMA
A MAYOR BOOST FOR LOS ALTOS HILLS Kavita Tankha calls the shots in one of the richest towns in the U.S.
ALL PHOTOS CREDIT: KAVITA TANKHA
ABHIJIT MASIH
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os Altos Hills, California, is a small town in the heart of Silicon Valley. It is a 10-minute drive away from the headquarters of Facebook, Google and Apple, and from Stanford University. Yet, this small town with just about 8,000 residents, most of them highprofile wealthy tech billionaires, astonishingly retains an old world rural charm with rolling hills and single homes.
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The mayor is Kavita Tankha, an Indian American mother of four who has made this sleepy town her home since 2005, after working and living with her husband and family in various parts of the world. Armed with a degree in law, Tankha once worked for various companies in Zurich, London, Chicago and Toronto, before finally deciding to settle down in Los Altos Hills, lured by its agrarian beauty.
Kavita Tankha and her husband with President Obama and the first lady at the White House Christmas party SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEEMA.COM | 7
STYLE | SEEMA
Creative designer and entrepreneur Kaviya Ravi 14 | SEEMA.COM | SEPTEMBER 2021
‘BEING BORN IN INDIA, IT’S IN MY BLOOD TO LOVE TEXTILES AND COLORS’ Artist Kaviya Ravi discusses her journey to being a contestant on NBC’s “Making It”
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s a young girl growing up in Coimbatore, India, Kaviya Ravi aspired to be a creative designer, but her traditional Indian upbringing pushed her into pursuing a degree in biochemistry. Today as a creative designer and
entrepreneur in Louisville, Kentucky and a star contestant on the third season of the NBC reality show, “Making It,” Ravi has taken the creative world by storm, a living example, she says, of “…women taking charge of their own lives and pursuing their true passion as a path to success.”
ALL PHOTOS CREDIT : : KAVIYA RAVI
SEEMA KUMAR
SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEEMA.COM | 15
THE QUARTET
PIONEER | SEEMA
That Cures These women physicians are breaking into historically male-dominated specialties and shining on ABHIJIT MASIH
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hese female doctors have broken into historically male dominated specialties of medicine, specialized fields such as hematology, oncology, pelvic medicine and reconstruction surgery, child psychiatry, and nephrology. The Fab Four is a bunch of extraordinary women who have dared to pursue unusual streams of medicine and owning them, making a mark in fields of medicine that have
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traditionally been considered male bastions. Even though they treat diverse diseases, the common thread that binds them is that they are serious and talented physicians, women of color, and definitely people who know how to let their hair down when the scrubs are off. Dr. Natasha Dave, Dr. Vini Chopra, Dr. Swati Divakarla, and Dr. Shruti Murali talk about their inspirations, challenges they faced, and reveal to us their interests outside medicine.
DR . N ATASH A DAV E , M . D. SPECIALTY: Nephrolog y ( Nephrolog y is the subspecialty of inter nal medicine that focuse s on the diag nosis and t reat ment of disease s of the k idney) WHERE: St rive Health , Miami , F lorida that. Later, my father developed colon cancer when I was in high school, which got me thinking about pursuing medicine. Furthermore, my elder sister, who like me also went to the American University of Antigua, went into medicine. She is someone who inspires me a lot.
WHY AN UNUSUAL SPECIALTY? Because of the patients! The patients are significantly older and the problems incredibly complex. In most cases you are dealing with multiple organs and balancing not just the kidneys, but in certain cases the heart, and it’s just a very complex field. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR SPECIALTY? It is a lot of fun. Nephrologists are a nerdy group of individuals who like numbers and equations. It is a fascinating field for innovation and a highly complex stream, which makes my job a lot of fun. WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE MEDICINE? WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A DOCTOR? I grew up in a town in California, where a majority of my parents’ friends were physicians, and I was enamored with
DID YOU FACE GENDER BARRIERS AND DISPARITIES? COULD YOU DISCUSS YOUR EXPERIENCES? In the last decade, we are doing somewhat better. Earlier, just getting into medical school or even getting into certain fields, there were big disparities. There is disparity in the workforce for surgeries. You see more men practicing in these positions than women. The selection criteria have become better, but there are not just disparities based on gender, but also racial disparities. DOCTORS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE FUN. HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT STEREOTYPE? I think it’s silly. Everyone is allowed to have some fun. Humor and having fun is a good outlet. WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS? I like to spend time with friends and family. I am also involved in a lot of social media activities. I also contribute to two nephrology blogs. Travel, meditation, and running are some other activities that I enjoy. SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEEMA.COM | 25
FALL FASHION
STYLE | SEEMA
LOOKBOOK
WITH SOUTH ASIAN BRANDS LAYA NEELAKANDAN
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s fashion trends change and we enter the fall season, you may be wondering what the latest trends are, so that you can hop on the bandwagon while showing off your cultural heritage. Lucky for you, some South Asian fashion brands have provided their input on what styles, colors and fabrics are in this season.
Here’s a Fall 2021 Fashion Lookbook, with input and pieces from South Asian brands to spice up your wardrobe.
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PHOTO CREDIT: ANCY JOHN
This fall, hop on the latest fashion trends with inspiration from these great outlets
Ruffles on pre-stitched sarees bring about a fresh change this fall. Outfit by Sanya Gulati from Indiaspopup.com SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEEMA.COM | 41
TRAVEL | SEEMA
DAYS AND NIGHTS IN
VARANASI The ghats of this ancient holy city are testimony to its ageless rhythms TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SUGATO MUKHERJEE
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ark Twain famously said that Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition and even older than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together. More than 125 years later, nowhere is this more evident than on the uninterrupted corridor of the ghats of Varanasi, from where this ancient, yet vibrant city just spills onto the River Ganga. The holy mother river is the lifeline of the city and the extensive and continuous stretch of the riverfront with 84 ghats is where you can feel the rhythm and rhyme of Varanasi,
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replete with daily chores, rituals and religious ceremonies. The intricate network of streets that meander from the riverfront steps into the deep recesses of the old city is a time-warp with its impossibly narrow alleyways flanked by centuries-old mansions. It is difficult not to feel a little lost while exploring the maze of twisting lanes slicing through the ancient neighborhoods, and often the best option could be to plant yourself in one of the streetside joints with a glass of famed Benaras lassi and feel the timeless appeal of this city, which is chaotic and serene, vibrant and soulful, all at once.
T HE SPECTACU L A R G A N G A AA RT I I S A Y E A R-RO U ND A F FA IR ON T HE M A IN D A S A S W A M E D H G H AT. T R AV E L E R S F L O C K T H E R E I N T H E E V E N I N G S F O R A G L I M P S E O F T H I S V I S U A L E X T R AV A G A N Z A
HOROSCOPE | SEEMA
FORECAST WITH FARZANA Mar 21 - Apr 19
It is a month of discovery and unraveling of secrets. Trust your intuition no matter how out of this world it may seem. Speak your truth. However avoid unnecessary confrontations. Steer clear of any family or office gossip and ignore what others think. Focus on what you know instead of overthinking, worrying and procrastinating. A good time to upgrade and evolve into your higher self. Your victory begins when you fall in love with patience, have the courage to manifest and learn to collaborate instead of competing. Open communication and balance enhance trust in the love area. Slow down your pace, appreciate the little things, and do more with less.
Apr 20 - May 20
You may find yourself bursting with creative energy and more attuned to your inner feelings. Act with compassion and emotional maturity to attain balance between the heart and mind. Your actions have the power to affect those around you. In financial dealings, use your wisdom to guide you, and keep your cards close to your chest. In the love area, expect a more responsible, loving and supportive relationship. While your goals are 78 | SEEMA.COM | SEPTEMBER 2021
important, do not forget to build in rest. Take time off to unwind with a book, listen to music, meditate or write – whatever helps you to heal. A short family getaway or meetup is a possibility.
May 21 - Jun 20
You find yourself in a position where you are required to mediate a conflict, or caught in the middle of a dilemma with no clear outcome. It is a difficult decision, if you are emotionally invested or there is an information overload. Bite the bullet, shrug those emotions and take a firm decision. If you are overwhelmed balancing any drama and conflict then communicate and focus on the facts. The sooner you resolve this, the more likely you will be at peace. Ignoring a problem, may not help your cause especially in matters related to your career, health, money or relationship.
Jun 21 - Jul 22
IYou may feel let down or disappointed due to some recent event but don’t allow that sadness take over your life. You have the strength to overcome what comes your way and move on from situations that cloud your peace. The setbacks are temporary so get over it, think clearly and focus on the larger
goal. If you are having a problem at work, take the initiative to clear things up. Some relationships and friendships may end, to create space for new ones. Take some time off to heal and get back into the dating game. Maintaining a positive outlook will be instrumental in your recovery and victory, so remain optimistic.
Jul 23 - Aug 22
You may find yourself going through an internal transformation of soul-searching and self-healing. Whatever it is that no longer feeds your soul, needs a refresh - your outlook, behavior and priorities. Release the brakes and go with the flow. A good time to declutter, detox and drop the past behind. Wherever you are on your path, remember to live in gratitude. Exercise prudence in all money matters. Light your own path by upskilling or hire a mentor to help you achieve your personal and professional victories. In the love arena, accept some kind of distance either by choice or enforced through work. It will help to take time - out for check-in conversations.
Aug 23 - Sept 22 Reflect and tune into your feelings and intuition. If you have been holding back, then now is the time to open yourself to love and the warmth of romance. Allow the uninterrupted flow of creativity to
flow and build on those ideas. Your feelings of guilt and stress around money can derail your financial goals. Steer clear of getting involved in any adventurous financial investments. Issues related to women, children or pets close to you may turn you into the proverbial ‘agony aunt’. Shield your energy and invest in self-care. Create a sacred space in your home where you can unplug and recalibrate from the daily stressors and unwind.
Sept 23 - Oct 22
You are able to improve your life because you understand that it is up to you to make the necessary changes. This month, you may find yourself building your financial independence and working to secure your future. Juggling ‘work from home’ and ‘work for home’ responsibilities may seem, a tad impossible. However identify your time wasters and free up time to follow your own pursuits and interests. Be rational and resourceful and know that opportunity lies in seizing the moment. Ask, ‘what small shifts can I make every day to bring more joy and harmony?’ Victory is yours if you accept that you have all it takes to manifest your vision.
Oct 23 - Nov 21
Some things that had been weighing on your mind or heart may be more or less resolved. Prepare to leave old baggage, old stories, old comfort zones, and move forward to embrace a new way of life. This has come after some reflection and without any fear, only the resolve to see things through. Yes, there could be some regret, but chin up for new opportunities await you. You may feel the need for space and alone-time to clear any intense emotions. Therefore,
relationships need to be handled with more care. Money-wise, it may bode well to tread cautiously. A good time to travel or even make a literal move to heal and retrospect.
Nov 22 - Dec 21
Ah, choice will place you in a moral dilemma this month and you need to consider all consequences before deciding, as both options may be too hard to resist. If you feel torn between two decisions, go with the one that intuitively feels right and vibes with your values. A decision based on guilt, worry or fear may take you away from your path. Opportunities for collaborations and partnerships are a possibility in your personal and professional life. Not the right time to mix business with pleasure and perhaps not in financial dealings. Your current relationships may go through some domestic friction so be gentle. Those who are single may seek more commitment.
Dec 22 - Jan 19
It is time to kick procrastination to the curb and make things happen now, so get the ball rolling and strike while the iron is hot. Get strategic about it. If rewards are your jam, go for it. If lists work for you, use them to achieve your goal. Step up and ask yourself, ‘What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?’ and give it all you have got to watch your dream unfold. Big change, possibly long-awaited, is on the horizon in your relationship or at work and this shift may require some bravery. Press forward with determination. Impulsive behavior can dilute your efforts and victory so be smart.
Jan 20 – Feb 20
You are called to reinvent an aspect of your
life that needs attention. As you are “figuring things out,” make sure you focus on what you have control over – your choices and behavior rather than changing other people. If you have been working hard, your efforts are likely to be acknowledged. There is a possibility of new contracts being signed or some positive cash flow. Watch any impulsive spends or being unappreciative and judgmental in your love relationship. Rely on your judgment and intuition instead of people’s opinions. You have the capability to control the outcome of a situation that you are in right now.
Feb 21 – Mar 20
For victory to be achieved, sometimes being still is a smart move. Invest your time and energy into what can release you from habits and attitudes that have been keeping you stuck. Stop pleasing others at your own expense. Reassess your relationships, workplace situations and your financial status. Don’t force anything, stay focused and be flexible. In case, things seem out of your control, try surrendering to the universe when you have given your all. Sometimes, destiny steps in and makes its own adjustments so have a little faith that everything will work out, the way it is meant to. Wherever you are on your journey, remember to look up at the sky full of stars. Farzana Suri is a Victory Coach who coaches people through their life’s challenges to take the leap to victory, using the science of numerology. For a personalised forecast, you may contact Farzana at surifarzana@gmail.com or visit her website, www.farzanasuri.com SEPTEMBER 2021 | SEEMA.COM | 79
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