08032026-JTR-01.qxd 3/7/2026 11:12 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ROAD WORK RESUMES ON NAKODAR-KAPURTHALA CHOWK SEECHEWAL URGES GOVT TO PROTECT SIKH SHRINES IN IRAN The muddy, potholed road was causing inconvenience to residents, shopkeepers, traders and commuters. P2 Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal has appealed to the Central Government to ensure protection of Sikh shrines in IranP3 » BREAKING BARRIERS, OWNING THE SPOTLIGHT » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 30°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.30 PM On International Women’s Day, a look at actresses reshaping narratives on and off screen. P4 SUNRISE MONDAY 6.45 AM » SUNDAY | 8 MARCH 2026 | JALANDHAR WOMEN’S DAY City-based women weave inspiring tales Breaking barriers, Jalandhar’s trailblazing women are taking to unconventional activities. From taking part in marathons to playing DJs, promoting use of postcards and establishing an all-women bikers’ club, they have been carving a niche for themselves. No training, yet a hit, DJ Rabab Marathoner, fitness influencer, Randhawa rules dance floor hotelier — Vera dons many hats Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service DJ player Rabab Randhawa in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 7 Music is in her name and it is now bringing her all the fame. Though Rabab Randhawa (29) has never taken any formal training in music, she has become an emerging “Diva DJ” and is making Jalandharites hiphop to her beats. Her manicured fingers move swiftly through various controls and keys on her console as she takes the charge of the party. In chic look with her headphones on, she quickly aligns beats, blends and pre-mixes audios and makes sure that there is a smooth transition from one song to another. “I had always loved to be surrounded by electronic music. DJing came so unplanned in my life. My husband Ashim Arora runs the popular Reefer Café in town. We got married almost three years ago. I used to help him in his business. He had bought the DJ console and used to play it in the café at times. I learnt it from him and eventually chose to have DJing as my independent career. That’s how it all started and I realised that its complete fun,” says Rabab. Rabab has studied from the local Cambridge School and moved to Apeejay College of Fine Arts for her graduation. “I was never very independent and confi- dent. There have been a lot of inhibitions when I had started off. But no longer. I take my bookings and travel on my own. There cannot be a fixed routine if you are into DJing. The events often start in the evening and go on till late but thankfully, I have not faced an issue,” she says while sharing some of her challenges. “I do not play music on demand as the crowd often turns a little rowdy for demands. I am a bit strict with rules and do not let anyone play mischief around. But of course revellers have a lot of fun when they let me shuffle songs and beats from my own playlist,” she adds. Jalandhar, March 7 She is a marathoner, fitness influencer and a hotelier. Vera Puri (34) dons too many hats. To accomplish all her tasks, she starts her day as early as 5 am and gets cracking. At least four times a week, her first task of the day is a long run. If there is a marathon approaching, she won’t skip the run whether it is foggy or it is raining. Straight from the run, she heads to her gym where she does not just exercise on her own, but also trains people. “The actual grind begins at 10 am. There are meetings with clients at my hotel and restaurant. Throughout the day, I and my husband Siddhartha Singh also run online fitness sessions for people from India and abroad who have enrolled with us. We prepare their individual diet plans and physical exercise routine and do daily sessions with them. There are so many people who cannot come to our gym, but need counselling. So, we are using online platforms for them,” she elaborated. Vera has also been travelling a lot. She recently completed a full marathon in Delhi. Before that, she had done it in Ladakh. “I cannot count the number of half marathons that I have completed. But running and physical activity have been in my blood. My father Suman Puri was a national-level golf player. I too have been into golf. But I have played every game. Be it athletics, basketball, volleyball, badminton or tennis, I was in every team as a schoolgoer,” she says. Vera studied in local St Joseph’s Convent School after which she had moved to England for her higher studies in finance. “Back from there, I joined my father’s hospitality Leaving Toronto job, Stuti returns to launch handwritten letter club Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Marathoner Vera Puri taking part in a run. business. I got married to Siddhartha around five years ago. We both had same interests in gyming and fitness. We both eat, sleep and breathe fitness. Together, we are running the gym and helping people maintain their fitness,” she said. Vera and Siddhartha have another task to follow daily. They make videos and share them on their Instagram accounts, which are followed widely by people. The videos are themed on dietary practices, exercise routine and weight loss modules. Often involving a lot of fun element, the couple draws a lot of traction on social media. Though Vera owns a hotel and a restaurant, she says that she is mostly cooking her own food. “I follow the normal dal-roti-salad diet. We focus on more protein intake by adding Greek yoghurt, paneer, eggs and chicken. We insist that pizza, burger and sandwich is also not a bad option if we put in the right filling and topping on it to give it a healthier version,” she says. Vera is also an animal lover. She has three dogs and is raising nearly a dozen stray dogs. “Our restaurant is pet-friendly as we are sensitive to the needs of pet keepers. We, however, ask them to put their dogs on leash near the entry point after which they come in and enjoy their meals,” she explained. City’s solo woman biker inspires others to travel around world Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 7 She’s ridden with fishermen to catch the first rays of dawn at Dhanushkodi, she’s conquered the unforgiving winds of her most challenging trip — world’s highest motorable road, the Umling La Pass in Ladakh, she’s sat with seers and 80-year-old folk singers to listen to Shiva dhuns and has ridden turbaned across the length of the country along with fellow women on a spiritual quest to the Panj Takhts. At 49, solo traveller, adventurer, feminist Ambika Sonia continues to set her eyes upon her huge bucket list — looking to charter unknown territories across India and abroad. Her son’s 27 and her British daughter-in-law (and her mother) are among the women she inspires. On Women’s Day 2026, Sunday, Ambika Sonia shall ride with 80 women from across Jalandhar on bikes and Activas in their own unique celebration of the day. A pass out from Amritsar and married in Jalandhar, she has always been a risk taker, since college. She was an NCC cadet and participated in the Republic Day parade at Raj Path twice and is also a Karate black belt. Fiercely patriotic, her solo drive to Umling La Pass was made with an Indian flag clutched firmly in her hand. Herself fulfilling her dream to ride solo across India in 2021, after her husband gifted her a Royal Enfield bike during Covid pandemic, her first trip involved riding across 8,0000 kilometres on the K2K drive — Kashmir to Kanyakumari that lasted 18 days. Ambika Sonia says, “In South India, it isn’t an unusual sight to see a woman driving a bike in her sari. I find it very inspiring. The spirit of travel isn’t in your Ambika Sonia on her bike in the Buddhist circuit in India. clothes or your value system. It’s in your mind. A woman from anywhere can pick up her cycle or bike and travel the world. I dreamt of Punjabi women doing the same c m y b and now we’ve started.” “Scores of girls here drive an Activa. So I exhort them, pick up that scooter and go to Ladakh if you want to. Go in a suit or a sari, the world will support you. The new Activas are powerful and can ride in tough terrain. Women must remove mental blocks,” she adds. Having made countless trips to Kashmir, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and the deep South, she says, “There is a perception women travelling solo is unsafe. But everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve been respected by men, women, groups of young men, children and elderly. If you mean well and are clear about your plan, people are supportive. I prefer travelling India off the beaten track and staying at people’s homes. I’ve always been welcomed and loved.” Sharing experiences across India Ambika says, “When I did the K2K trip, Dhanushkodi wasn’t on plan. But I found that fishermen on trucks, who were travelling on the same road, marvelled at the lone woman biker. I shared my journey and they applauded me. I ate on banana leaf and was awestruck by the resilience and simplicity of the women of the South. It’s been among my favourite experiences.” In Gujarat she found her favourite music. “Sitting on a rustic cot at Rapur-Amrapur villages in Rann of Kutch, I heard the sweetest song. I found it was the 80year-old elderly neighbour, with a huge gold ring on his ear, singing a Shiv dhun in his modest room with just a charpoy and some dry wood for company.” Her favourite five rides across India include drives through — Rajasthan, Himachal, Dhanushkodi, Parra Road in Goa and the Rann of Kutch. Her huge bucket list is never ending, but a trip overseas may be imminent. Jalandhar, March 7 Leaving behind a high paying corporate marketing career in Toronto, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, Stuti Kohli has returned to her hometown Jalandhar to start a community-based art club aimed at bringing back the charm of handwritten letters in an increasingly digital world. Kohli launched an art club called Local Arbol in August 2025, through which she sends personally curated packages to people who appreciate handwritten communication. Describing it as a closely knit community, she said anyone interested in becoming part of the club can sign up through the website and book a package after filling in their details and paying the required charges. Each package includes a handwritten letter from the studio, thoughtfully created art prints and postcards along with a small music playlist meant to accompany the reading experience. The idea behind the initiative, she says, is to encourage people to slow down and reconnect with the emotional value of writing and receiving letters, something that has gradually faded with the rise of instant messaging and emails. After every few months, the art club launched a themedbased letters, limited to just 50 people, making it a more personal and intimate experience for the recipients. Kohli said the concept first came to her during the COVID19 lockdowns when Stuti Kohli in Jalandhar. she was in the final year of her undergraduate studies in Sonepat. While most communication during that time happened through texts and video calls, she decided to write handwritten letters to her friends during Diwali while sending them gifts. "That experience made me realise how meaningful handwritten words can feel. It creates a different kind of connection," she said. Kohli said she moved to Toronto in 2022 to work in corporate marketing. However, the thought of building a small creative studio centred around art and letters stayed with her. After spending nearly two years abroad, she decided to return to Jalandhar to pursue the idea she had been thinking about for years. Although the physical studio is still under construction, Kohli said she hopes to create a space where people can pause for taking a break from the high-paced digital communication and rediscover the quiet joy of putting their thoughts on paper and sharing them with others. Two killed after Fortuner collides with e-rickshaw Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 7 A 10-year-old girl and her grandmother, who were riding in an e-rickshaw near Basti Peerdad late last night, died after it collided with a Fortuner (SUV). The duo were run over by the SUV. Victims Mahi Sharma and her grandmother Sheetal Sharma were going back home when the accident happened. The victims’ family alleged that the Fortuner was being driven by a man in an inebriated condition. The victim’s family members held a massive protest outside the Basti Bawa Khel police sta- tion till 3 pm today. Seema, paternal aunt of the victim, said the accused whose carelessness led to loss of two lives was being protected by the police. Eyewitnesses said after hitting the e-rickshaw, the Fortuner hit a pole and then ran over the victims. He was rounded up by the area residents and handed over to the police. The cops took him to police station and locked it from outside. SHO Jai Inder said the police station was locked as the victim’s family was too agitated. “We have arrested the accused and registered an FIR against him,” he said.