THE idea for Rangsutra came to me during a year-long sabbatical in 2001-02. It was a much needed sabbatical, as I had recently experienced some traumatic events. In 1997, my husband and colleague, Sanjoy Ghose, was abducted and killed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a terrorist group in Assam. His loss was catastrophic for my family, our colleagues and me, raising many questions to which I found no answers in the external, material world.
This led me to the Gnostic Centre, dedicated to the understanding and practice of Integral Yoga as taught by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Here, I learned to calm my scattered mind and gained practical tools to live a centred life, responding less to external circumstances and more to what was within. This journey helped me cope with the immense tragedy and, in time, move beyond it and find meaning and purpose in life again.