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Slinging a lullaby

Behind the country’s attempt to provide a ring sling for mothers, this city gal is on the right path
Chinmayie Bhat is not one to walk the path that everyone else has treaded on. With the same amount of gumption that brought the girl from Puttur to strange Bengaluru when she was just 16, Chinmayei now holds sway over a venture that aims to bring mothers close to their children — literally. The founder of the first Indian attempt at delivering ring slings for mothers, Bhat is no stranger to the importance of the natural flow of life and it is this very aesthetic that she channels into every sling that she produces for mothers all over the globe.
A mother to a six-year-old and two-year-old, Chinmayie speaks with a thorough brand of frankness. “I have never made a conscious effort to live life outside of the beaten track. My husband and I chose to live together before getting married when I was 20. Maybe that was the first step. We had my daughter when I was 23 which also surprised people as that wasn’t ‘normal’ for a person like me. I have always loved to live life on my own terms. We are a homeschooling family — my husband and I are following our passion and are responsible for the kids’ education ourselves,” says Chinmayei.
One of Bengaluru’s most popular food bloggers, the entrepreneur used to write prolifically at Love Food Eat until a few years ago. The blogging bug gave way to a business plan when she first realised the importance of wearing babies for new mothers. She says, “After the birth of my daughter, I experimented with some very bad mass produced baby carriers and then moved on to wrapping with sarees. But before I knew it, she had grown up! With my son, I was determined to wear him and zeroed in on a ring sling by a US brand. It was perfect and I knew that I had to introduce ring slings to the Indian market. We decided upon the name ‘Soul Slings’ because you will be wearing your ‘soul’ in it!”
A skilled photographer with a business to run, Chinmayie’s days are, by her own admission, ‘absolutely crazy.’ She says, “My husband Ravindra and I take our son to the studio where we work together while our daughter stays home. We try to spend as much time as possible together with our kids. Off late, my son’s nap time is my main work hour. We are grateful to be able to have a flexible schedule which allows us to work without being away from Alaru and Aadhya.”

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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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