'I Played Cricket As A Kid': Modern-Day Princess Padmaja Kumari Parmar Gives A Glimpse Of Her Childhood| Women's Day Special
· Free Press Journal
Udaipur is not just home for Princess Padmaja Kumari Parmar; her entire soul is connected to the place as she feels deeply rooted to the city that was once the capital of the Mewar Kingdom.
It is the place she spent all her life in, until she got married in 2011. "Somewhere in the middle, I went away for school and then work, but I kept coming back every time. From the age of 15 to 25, for around 10 years, things were a little more transient," she reveals. "But I was always coming back."
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Padmaja moved to USA post her marriage, but keeps traveling to India often. "It took me a couple of years to figure out my foundation and what I wanted to do with it in order to make sure that these visits and these trips actually had some sort of a tangible impact," shares the princess from the House of Mewar who has been championing preventive healthcare as someone who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since the age of five.
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Keeping her Indian culture alive is important for Padmaja because she has got "another legacy to carry forward among the younger generation".
"I have two young girls and it's important for me to be able to share that with them, not by lecturing them, but by showing them the traditions and values that keep me grounded. A lot of millennial parents are struggling with keeping the children up to date with the traditions. With my children, just the communication, but what we do, our travels, our events, what we eat, how we think about cows, has just been a way of life," she shares. Both her daughters speak fluent Mewari, with zero accent.
In an interview with FPJ, Princess Padmaja Kumari speaks about staying connected with her roots, her childhood as a royal princess while also being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes since the age of five, and the responsibilities that come with being a 'modern-day princess'.
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You in touch with your roots in every possible way despite having settled in USA. Is it an easy task?
I'll always be Indian. I feel very comfortable with that. I'm fortunate to have the freedom of adapting and adjusting, but never walking away from my roots. I don't want to come off as someone who is trying too hard because it just feels very unauthentic. I'd rather be someone who is standing by what they truly believe in. My commitment to my culture, roots and legacy, is a lot more important to me.
How was your childhood? What was it like growing up in Udaipur?
I was seeped in tradition and culture at all times of my life. I haven't known life without it. Was that burdensome and overwhelming? No, it wasn't. Did it help? Even though one was growing up in a certain environment, I was very lucky that both my parents had very different outlooks in life.
Both my parents were very keen for us children, to be exposed to the real world. So those exposures, whether it be through travel or the people we were talking to, or our local school, it was always there.
I may have lived different worlds, but I did them simultaneously. It's helped me make the foundation I've made back in the U.S. It helped me make this path of being able to straddle two worlds without it feeling overly exhausting. Today I have relationships all over the world and that's a gift, you know.
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Who have you inherited your elegant yet simple style from?
My mother, and I say that because that's how people describe my mother, just simple and elegant. It's one of the best compliments.
You are touted as the modern-day princess. It is an air of regality, but at the same time, there are responsibilities. Does that somewhere weigh on your shoulders?
Yes, I'm always aware. I don't let my guard down. I'm always aware that I'm representing a system; a value that is much larger than me. So for me to be careless or whimsical or disrespectful is not just about me. It stands for a lot of people, especially my ancestors whom I represent in some way or the other.
What does The Friends of Mewar stand for?
It is a foundation that I created after I moved to the US. It's based on the principles I have learned from my father. My grandfather laid the foundation with his Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation. The Friends of Mewar is inspired by that but based on my father's principles. However, the core principle remains the same as what my ancestors had in mind, of doing things that last way beyond our lifetime.
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How would you describe Udaipur?
For me, it's home. I'm not going to look you in the eye and say I'm not biased because I am. I want to be objective, I want to be intelligent about it, but my heartstrings will always pull for it.
As a city, in its whole, it's beautiful, and in a way I feel even the residents have somewhere preserved its heritage. It's not one of the cities which is very cluttered, polluted, or overpopulated. I feel Jaipur is so hyped up, but Udaipur has managed to preserve its soul in a way.
A childhood memory or ritual you follow till date
Every Monday with my father, I would have Dal Bati. And that ritual never got old. Mondays was our vegetarian day. I was very excited about it. My mother is still around, but my father isn't. Even today, if Dal Bati is being served, it brings back all of those memories.
I love Indian masalas and am a big foodie. My father was a big foodie. My mother was not so much of a foodie. She was picky about her food.
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What was it like living with Type 1 diabetes?
I was five years old when I got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, so I have been living 41 years at this stage. Diabetes is a big issue in India, actually world over. I think diabetes just becomes a part of your life; it is my best friend.
It is a condition I'm grateful for because it's taught me responsibility and discipline very organically at a very young age. I've had this condition for 41 years with no complications, and I want people to know that even though the thought and the noise around Type 1 diabetes is very negative, if you eat well, you're not going to feel bad. If you work out, you're not going to feel bad. Those are the things I do. And I think because of this heightened awareness that I have this condition, I do these things very organically.
How did your parents help you turn the situation around?
My mother was very, very confident and positive about it. We didn't speak about it as a disease. Because five is like very young in life to even figure things out. I can say there was nothing that I have not been able to do because of this condition, and that's my message to the kids who are newly diagnosed.
I don't think I have any tips for those who have it, but I do have tips for the ones taking care of people suffering from it. Give us the space. Allow us. Don't deprive us. Those are things my mother did. Even in terms of food choices, she didn't deprive me. She helped me maintain a disciplined life and not overdo anything. I learned to live in moderation because I felt good with it.
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What are your hobbies?
I played cricket as a kid. My father never discouraged me, and initially I was the only girl. Later, we had a few more girls showing up at the nets with the boys. I also played soccer at school. I think sport teaches you so much, without it being harsh, so that was that I've always enjoyed.
Travel is something that's been a very important. I like the anticipation, the excitement, the fact of being somewhere different and interesting. Friends of Mewar is something on which a lot of my waking hours are spent. Some projects seem enticing, but I have to figure out where I can put my resources. Some of the resources are limited, right, whether it's financial or time or effort. So one has to be thoughtful of it.
Is wearing a saree just a matter of personal style, or does it go beyond?
For me, the saree is the most comfortable garment. You can't go wrong in it, right? I love it. Whenever I feel I have to represent Udaipur, I choose to go with the lehariya. Even though I might prefer another saree or prefer a different colour, I just feel like the lehariya will represent where I'm coming from a little bit better.