Doctor dabbawala

“I have struggled a lot to achieve what I have today. My father always wanted to see a ‘Dr’ tag to my name. His dream has finally come true,” said the 41-year-old resident of Antop Hill. Maharana,who has been working with the Braj Gauri Trust (which works in areas like health and education among others) since 2007 and has been giving yoga lessons to cancer patients at the Tata Memorial Hospital,had done his PhD on “The relevance of yoga in modern life”.

A graduate from Utkal University in Orissa,Maharana had come to Mumbai in 1995 to take admission for his masters in philosophy in Mumbai University. “Unfortunately,I got delayed as I had to take care of a cousin who fell sick in Cuttack. By the time I reached Mumbai and went to the university,the admissions were already over. My father was a school teacher and I had younger siblings. There was already a lot of financial pressure on my father and going back did not seem like a feasible option. Even as I sat at the university,crying and trying to make sense of what I should do next,a dabbawala (Bishnu Salve) spotted me,heard my problem and took me with him,” he said.

Maharana joined Mumbai’s popular dabbawala service at a monthly salary of Rs 200. He also worked as a courier boy for Rs 1,400-1,600 a month. “I had to survive in the city. I took up whatver odd jobs I could do.”

He took admission in Mumbai University in 1996 and completed his masters in philosophy in 1998. His struggles did not end there. “My ultimate goal was to do my PhD and after trying for two years,I finally got admission in 2000.”

Becoming “Dr Maharana” also allowed him to share his experiences with his family. “I didn’t want to hurt my family. When my father got to know of my achievement and what I have been through,he called me from Orissa and asked me why did I struggle so much when he could have taken care of me. I told my father that all through my struggles,I remembered what he told me as a child that ‘no work is big or small’. I wanted to fulfill my father’s wish and it was his words that helped me sail though,” said Maharana. “Besides my father,I owe my success to professor Shakuntala Singh,my guide. She inspired me at a time when a lot of people had refused to be my guide. I was also encouraged a lot by Dev Mohanty (chairman of Braj Gauri Trust).’’

Maharana has been practising yoga for over 30 years. He said his choice of PhD was a humble attempt to make people aware of its importance in daily life and its ability to solve modern life problems. “Besides helping cancer patients,I want to share my years of research with anyone who is interested.” He has also written a book Mission to Success.