Fashion designer Shilpa Reddy
Fashion designer Shilpa Reddy

INTERVIEW| ‘Sankranti is about respecting nature’

On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, fashion designer Shilpa Reddy sits down for an exclusive interview with CE where she passionately underscores the need to change our modern ways and embrace our roots
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HYDERABAD: Mrs India 2004, fashion designer, influential socialite, model…the list is never-ending when it comes to describing the stunning diva Shilpa Reddy. But apart from the glitz and glamour, she has also been a strong promoter of Telugu culture and traditions and a torchbearer of sustainability. Indeed, she has crafted a praiseworthy career for herself and is an inspiration for not just Hyderabadi women but women across the world. And so, we listen intently to what she has to say this Sankranti.

Excerpts

What encouraged you to promote Telugu culture on social media?

I started noticing that there was no respect here towards our traditions; few youngsters these days want to know about our history and culture while the whole world is recognising what India has always offered — it is like ‘ghar ki murghi daal barabar’. People have lost their identities and we are walking down a dangerous path. I want to use my presence on social media to teach people something and make them think. I don’t share something until I have learned about it and seen the value and beauty in it. When I share it with people, I believe it will enhance their lives, empower them, and make them feel proud of our culture.

What do you like about our culture?

Ours is a very ancient culture — we have invested a lot of time and energy mentally, physically, and scientifically to decode universal truths that most countries have not understood even now. What we have is something that will benefit the entire world.

Pics: Vinay Madapu
Pics: Vinay Madapu

What made you take a turn towards sustainability and promote it?

I started talking about sustainability only to reset what we already have — this is something our grandmothers used to talk about and practice. ‘Sustaining’ means anything that can be prolonged as long as it is meant to be living or be relevant.

It’s just that the West coined the word sustainability in the recent past; they never used to live a sustainable life before and once they saw a lot of destruction, they realised they couldn’t continue that way for long. Unfortunately, the ideas we have borrowed from the West in the last 50 years have done a little bit of damage to our country.

Can you tell us the importance of Sankranti?

Sankranti is a harvest festival which is not just celebrated here but in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Goa, with different names. It is not about a God or any enlightened being; it is about respecting nature, its seasons, and all the creatures that help us in our farming activities. We pray to Mother Earth, the cattle, and the seeds which will ultimately become crops. In that sense, the festival is a beautiful way of reminding ourselves that we don’t exist as a singular life form; so many other lives come together and work so we are able to eat and nourish ourselves.

Festivals have lost their essence — what do you think about the void that we see in festivals today?

There are a lot of nuclear families today, with grandparents, uncles, and aunts living far away. Jobs have gone from the 9 to 5 kind to the sort where you work till you fall asleep, which is so wrong. We are losing bonds and getting distant from our culture and traditions. Because your body gets worn out through the week, you wait for a festival so you can use the long weekend to go somewhere, sleep, and eat what you like. Culture has become too economically driven. Pause — if you don’t have balance, then there is no life. When you come back home, you need to be able to switch off work mode and switch on your father, brother, daughter, and sister mode or whatever mode is needed. If you lose that balance, it will manifest in the form of poor mental health and physical illness.

Are there any forgotten rituals or traditions that are connected to the festival?

Our lives and professions keep changing over the decades. I am not saying you have to wake up at 4 am in the morning, wash your hair, and start your morning rituals. You can certainly simplify a few things but the core of the festival should not be forgotten. I don’t think I know everything about our culture but will pass on whatever I have learned from my grandmother and mother to the next generation.

There are rangoli-making competitions across the country on Sankranti. Can you tell us how important rangoli is in the festival?

Drawing geometrical patterns in front of our homes attracts good energy. In those days, we would use rice powder so birds and ants could eat it, and it wouldn’t get wasted — that is the beauty of our culture. The colours used before were haldi, flowers, and kumkum. Now, it is a celebration, and rangolis have become elaborate with more colours. It is nice that there are rangoli-making competitions; at least the culture of rangoli is alive.

My only suggestion is to use rice flour and natural colours in front of your homes. Artificial greens, pinks, purples, reds, and so on are toxic; once the rangoli is washed away, the chemicals go into the Earth and can kill plants and other living creatures. Anything that you do in the name of tradition or culture shouldn’t harm something or generate trash.

Can you give us a window into your spiritual life?

Enhancing your inner dimensions is called spirituality. Everyone can look great on the outside but inside we are all hollow — if we fill that, we become spiritual. People from all parts of the world come here to learn yoga, meditation, and how to use the prana or breath work. Just ask yourself — why are they coming from thousands of miles away to this land? You are born in this land, to a wisdom which no other country has.

I was always into fitness but there was no fulfillment in life. Today, I am proud to call myself an Isha meditator — the change happened once I started doing some kriyas. There are hundreds of ways to become spiritual and this was my way. It worked beautifully for me.

How do you stay fit all the time?

Constantly prioritising what you want, working for it with consistency, having the discipline to show up everyday till it happens, and keeping a balance by not overdoing anything — that is my mantra.

What is the message you want to give your fans?

Make family your priority; they are like a safety net and will catch you when you fall. Strengthen your family bonds, identity, culture, and traditions.

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