‘Mansarovar is beyond words’

Reclusive designer Satya Paul rarely gives interviews and it is after much hesitation that he speaks out on his spirituality, for he is known to be spiritually inclined and takes off on journeys to the
Himalayas. “Spirituality and Worldliness are not opposites. The distinction is only in the mind. It is the quality with which we do something that is valuable,” he says.

Satya then reveals about his guru and says that words cannot describe the beauty of it. “That said, one of the most amazing journeys of my life was with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar. It is beyond words, so is its physical beauty and energy. Other than that, there is only one real journey — to discover one’s self,” he adds.

Work for him is also a spiritual journey, he says. “Design is like a river for me, it is continuously on,” the designer says.

He adds that life for him is a never-ending spiritual journey. “For me it was a spontaneous journey than a pre-planned one. The family was uprooted from Pakistan and landed in India with nothing in hand. From a zero start, my father and me ran a restaurant in Sarojni Nagar in Delhi, which became quite famous at the time.  The hours were grueling and the struggle was intense.

At the time it was the edge of town, when Defence Colony was rolling tobacco fields. People were scared to go to the the edge of town. I had to self teach myself about design and quality, as I was not content only with trading, Wanting to offer better quality, the search took me far and helped shape a life of creation. Later I started exports and the first ‘boutique’ store for sarees. My label was born in 1985,” he ends.