Interview: Veraji and the Vaisakhi Creation

It's a pleasure to speak to you VeraJi. We have a few questions for you but let's start with your nickname. How did that come about?

When I first went to India 6 years ago, my hosts were very hospitable to me and addressed me as Veraji or Veeraji. When I wondered out aloud why they tagged ji on to my name, they explained it was a sign of respect. Also, I learned Veeraji was a term of endearment for a sibling. So how could I resist such a nick name? This is how they all call me now and Vera Maria became Veraji. When I had to think of a brand name for my new venture, I thought it would be nice for it to be Veraji. This now is my nickname and brand name with a big red heart on the i.

How did you get introduced in to Sikh Dharma and what do you like about it?

Through my fiance and his family and of course my Sikh friends. It was a very gentle process and openness. Yes, a lot of celebrations like weddings and cultural events helped to educate and inspire me. I understand Sikhism as a universal spiritual philosophy and very relevant in today's world. It's emphasis on equality, honest and hard work and sharing with the less fortunate is the need of our times.

What inspired you to create this Vaisakhi count-down calendar game?

(laughs) Everybody is asking me this. Well, a long story short: I was born in Germany where we have the tradition of a gift box called "Adventcalender". You can describe it as a countdown to Christmas and it usually includes chocolates. In 2007 I sent one box to my family in Delhi and they loved the chocolates but didn't realize the countdown element of the experience.

The whole journey started from there. I thought somebody should do a countdown for the big Indian celebrations similar to Christmas. The biggest spiritual celebration in India is the Hindu festival of Diwali. It is festival of lights celebrated by all Indians. However, it became difficult to explain the concept of the countdown so I decided to bring a story telling educative element to it. Since I had become most familiar with the Sikh Dharma, I thought it's best to begin with the Vaisakhi harvest festival and the birth of the Khalsa. Everyone now seemed to like the concept but couldn't figure out how to execute it. Even the printers in Germany were bewildered and knew only how to design 24 windows and not 13 or 14. Also, along the way, I realized chocolates would not be suitable for India's hot climate. Thereafter, I concluded I should create the first prototypes with my own hands so people could understand what I was actually talking about.

What was involved in creating it?

I had the good fortune to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar with my mother. This became embedded in my mind and I decided to make it the central image of my design. From that moment on I started working on putting together the history and story in the form of a quiz behind every window. This took a lot of research and study. It had to be simple so that Sikhs and non-Sikhs could learn or refresh their knowledge in a fun and joyful manner just by opening windows. Behind each window would be a blessing bead wrapped in a saffron paper and an image of a Guru. You should see my first prototypes I made out out cardboard and glue (laughs). Finally, I found a terrific printer in Munich who patiently worked with me to produce a beautiful product. Also, the very nice people of the 1469 company in New Delhi helped source the beads and complete the packaging. As a result, everyone in India loved it and remarked about the German quality. Even the British Ambassador in New Delhi praised it. He wanted to buy them right away for his family members.

Have you always had an interest in creating things?

Absolutely. My mum is an artist and my dad has a construction company. When I was a child, his warehouse was my playground and I would use woods, bricks, styrofoam, paints, etc and make something out of them. Our parents always encouraged us to create with our hands and not to stop until complete. Later I studied architecture and art history in Florence, Italy. In my free time I paint in Oil. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused when you have so many ideas. One product is actually never finished because there is always something else you can add. Yes, I don't know boredom (laughs). I'm now in the process of creating some on-line learning games tied to spiritual events.

How has the game been received?

Very well from around the world. The Indian diaspora particularly like it and have even suggested involving schools and corporations. I have notes of appreciation from 9 year old's to 90 year olds. Some even made necklaces with the beads and sent me their photos. Also some started exchanging the beads amongst their families and with their friends at school. With this kind of feedback I am even more motivated to continue with my Countdowns and Vaisakhi Blessings.