At a time when the role of a wife and a home maker is subject to changing social mores, she is not playing coy and confining herself to her home and hearth but is giving wings to her dreams, hopes and aspirations, however, lofty they may be. Iris Maju from Kochi set free one of her dreams in the winds and it returned back to her in the form of the Mrs India World 2015 title. She went on to participate in the Mrs World contest held at China recently. The mother of a teenage son and wife of an Army Colonel, she is a teacher and Iris’s main intention in participating in the event was to give a voice to the social causes she espoused.
While marriage may have clipped the wings of some women, to Iris it opened up a whole new world where she got to travel, meet and interact with a lot of people across India. She states, “Army life has shortchanged me because it taught me to be more disciplined, manage pressure, be more balanced and remain like a family. I worked with the Army schools and was also involved with a lot of Army Wives Welfare Association initiatives which is where my penchant for environmental activities grew. “The need to propagate her cause and take it to a wider platform made Iris decide to take a shot at the beauty pageant,” she adds.
Travelling has been one of the biggest perks of her lifestyle and Iris says “I have not only travelled but have also stayed and taught in some remote places in India. I remember landing in Leh in an Army chopper and all I could see was snow all around. The transportation was bad and the roads snow bound but I worked in a school there, adapted to a new culture and climate as well as made lasting relationships. Patiala and Chandigarh are like second homes to me.”
Iris very strongly feels that marriage and motherhood must not be an impediment for women to pursue their goals. She says “Personally I have huge respect for homemakers because they give up their passions and desires to look after their families but I also feel it is equally important for a woman to spend some time for herself doing what brings her joy. That is important for her mental and emotional well–being because as long as the woman of the house is happy, she will spread joy and positivity around. I have been juggling my wife, mother and career woman roles but also find time to keep my body and mind fit.”
You need to take out time for that. She travels around the country taking training classes and is also a blogger. She practices yoga and as a part of her preparation of the finals held in China, also learnt Kalari — a rigorous art form which was challenging. She went to the contest all alone, in the bargain coming back more confident and enriched.
