From Chalk to Chapters: A Teacher Turned Author at 68

An inspiring story of Dr. Jashodhara Purkayastha (Khyaal Community Member)

“I am Dr. Jashodhara Purkayastha, 68 years old, born and raised in Shillong, Meghalaya. I completed my early education there and got married during my B.Ed days to Mr. Swapan Purkayastha from Mumbai. After that, I continued my studies, getting an M.A. in Economics from Mumbai University, followed by M.Ed. When I was 54 years old, I resumed my education and got an M.Phil. and a Ph.D.

Teaching was not something I planned from the beginning of my profession, but that is the path, life took me on. I started teaching in a primary school at the age of 32 and then shifted to B.Ed college and became the Principal for sometime. I used to teach Educational psychology in B.Ed college. I did my counseling course from Tata Institute of Social Science during that time. I also completed a course in handwriting analysis which I used in my counseling. Looking back, I feel teaching was truly my calling as it gave me a chance to share the values and lessons, I had held close since childhood.

I retired in 2016. With my children settled and more time in my hand, I finally gave full attention to something I had always loved - writing. Although, I started writing when I began teaching in school. Managing my busy schedule of family life, children's education and my profession, I used to write now and then in loose papers but did not get enough time to complete it. Seeing this, my mother gave me a note book and my elder son took interest and published my first poetry book "Shaswat"(106 poems).

A lot of my writings draw inspiration from people I met in MAVA, which stands for Men Against Violence and Abuse, an organisation I had joined in 1998 as a counselor. The interactions and conversations remained with me and helped in adding some of their life events into my stories. My first novel - ‘Where Love Begins Vibhavari’ is a love story I had penned in the late ’90s. But for nearly a decade, I kept it to myself because there were lot of scarcity of publishing. I was afraid of rejection. It was only after retirement that I gathered the courage to publish it in 2011. To my surprise, the book was well-received and even won an award for the best fiction! It was later translated into Gujrati, Bengali, Spanish, German and French.

Since then, I have written over 35 books in English, Hindi and Bengali. Each one holds a piece of my heart. Some reflect my spiritual journey- like ‘How I Met God’, in which all the incidents are true in nature. My book ‘The Bhagavad Gita and Love’, is my dream book in which our ancient precious texts are collected. This book is special because after every chapter, there are stories, quotes and poems for better understanding. This book has been featured in international book fair by NBT (National Book Trust) which is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. One of my books, ‘You Can Know Your Psyche’, shares 18 real-life case studies and remedies. I have also written on social issues, crime, comics and Children's books. My two books on Parenting and Motivation appeared in print after conducting seminars for adults.

Writing has given me immense pleasure in my life. It has brought me peace, clarity, and a deep sense of fulfilment. For me, it is not just putting words on paper. It is about bringing to life, the voices I have listened to over the years, the stories I have witnessed, and the thoughts I have quietly carried with me. It has also made me ask myself some tough questions that I try to answer as truthfully as I can. It touches me deeply when someone tells me that the story is related to their life. I am happy that my words or that my writing inspired people to pen down their thoughts.

Recently, I joined Khyaal, which has been such a refreshing experience. I especially enjoy the well-being sessions—they help me reflect and feel connected to the community. I love singing in the Khyaal Karaoke sessions and sometimes on stage. I was recently honoured with second prize (all India basis) in an online singing contest.

Today, I feel enthusiastic, looking forward to writing a new chapter of my life. One piece of advice to my fellow seniors would be: “Creativity does not stop with increasing age. Take a moment to look within. Ask yourself what more you want to do, and give it your honest effort. The journey is what makes it meaningful.” - Dr. Jashodhara Purkayastha (Khyaal Community Member)